Jennings Ave. Improvements: Hwy 99E to Oatfield Road

Improving safety and connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists along SE Jennings Ave.

This project, along SE Jennings Ave. between Highway 99E (McLoughlin Blvd.) and SE Oatfield Road, will help connect residents to nearby businesses and transportation options, and provide safe routes for students to travel to local schools in the area by: 

• Construction contractor began work in April with staging of equipment and surveying, removing trees and brush and installing temporary fence placement. 
• Thru August the contractor will be finishing the storm water system updates and continue installing the retaining walls required for the road widening and begin on the sidewalk and ADA installations. During construction, expect temporary rolling lane closures and two separate road closures up to 4 weeks each, one between Hwy 99E and Addie St, and one between Colina Vista Ave and Oatfield Road (the road closures will not occur at the same time). When work can be done with traffic, flaggers will guide travelers. Pedestrians will have access. 
• At this time intersection of Jennings and Oatfield Roads are closed to all traffic for the installation of retaining walls and may remain so until the end of August. 
• Expect construction between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday–Friday, and Saturdays as needed. We will send schedule details to area residents before construction begins.

Proposed design for all of SE Jennings Ave. within the project limits.

Schedule

Bids were received and contract was awarded in February 2024 to Emery and Son’s Construction.

• Project planning and design: Nov. 2019 – Nov. 2023
• Right of Way Acquisition Efforts: Jan. 2021 – Sept. 2023
  All right of way acquisitions are conducted as required by state and federal law. Read right of way brochure: English | Spanish.
• Construction: May 2024  – Oct. 2024

Traffic impacts 

• The Jennings/Oatfield intersection is closed to all traffic for the installation of retaining walls through August 2024. 
• Through August the contractor will be finishing the storm water system updates and continue installing the retaining walls required for the road widening and begin on the sidewalk curb ramps.
• During construction, expect temporary rolling lane closures and two separate road closures up to 4 weeks each, one between Hwy 99E and Addie St, and one between Colina Vista Ave and Oatfield Road (the road closures will not occur at the same time). When work can be done with traffic, flaggers will guide travelers. Pedestrians will have access. 
• Expect construction between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday–Friday, and Saturdays as needed. 

Engineer/consultant

Nicholas McMurtrey, PE; Murraysmith, Inc.

Things to be aware of

Traveler Safety FAQs

This section of Jennings Ave. is being considered now because it best fit the criteria for Metro’s Regional Flexible Funds Allocation funding program (a key funding source). It is the appropriate size and had already been identified as a high priority project in the Clackamas County Transportation System plan. 

In 2013, Clackamas County requested funds for this project from Metro’s Regional Flexible Funds Allocation (RFFA) program, a process used by Metro to distribute federal money to local projects. In November 2013, Metro notified the county that they had awarded funds for this project to begin in 2016–2018. Since the project was not fully funded, the county needed to identify additional funding sources. Once additional funding was identified and the county completed the contracting process with the Oregon Department of Transportation, we were able to begin working on the project in 2019. 

Plans for work on other portions of Jennings Ave.

The Clackamas County Transportation System Plan (TSP) includes improvements of bike lanes and sidewalks for the entire length of Jennings Ave. between McLoughlin Road and Webster Road. Project priorities in the TSP were developed with input from the community and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners.

• The current project between Oatfield and McLoughlin is a Tier 1 (top) priority projects
• The segments between River Road and Oatfield are identified as Tier 1 (top) priority projects (Project #1068). 
• The segment between Oatfield Road and Webster Road is a Tier 2 (second level) priority project (Project #2021). 

Projects along the other segments of Jennings, both the segment from River Road to Mcloughlin and the segment from Oatfield to Webster, will be constructed when we can get funding for them. We depend on outside funding sources for sidewalk and bike lane improvements and work diligently to match needed projects to funding from state and federal resources.
 

Notices will be sent to area residents and property owners at key points during the process.

Share your comments and ask questions.

Funding

• Estimated project cost: $8.6 million
• Funding sources: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) and Clackamas County

Other Resources

• Presentation to Jennings Lodge CPO, March 22, 2022

Project area

Existing conditions

There are many sections of SE Jennings Ave. without sidewalks or bike lanes. Some examples of these incomplete connections that will be completed as part of this project are shown below.

 

 

Traffic analysis