Project
Overview
The Jughandle
Project is the first phase of a transportation improvement plan for Highway 213 (Hwy 213) between the Interstate 205 (I-205)
interchange and Redland Road in Oregon City. Currently, approximately 65,000 trips are made daily on Hwy 213 immediately south
of the I-205 interchange and stop-and-go conditions routinely delay travelers during commuter rush hours. By 2030, if no improvements
were made, the demands for travel on this section of Hwy 213 would exceed the available capacity by 25% to 35%. The City of
Oregon City, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation, is making improvements in this area to reduce congestion,
enhance safety, and increase capacity to accommodate the current traffic demands and future growth. The Jughandle Project
will construct improvements to Hwy 213, Washington Street and Clackamas River Drive in 2011 and 2012 with funding from the
2009 Oregon Jobs and Transportation Act.
The signature component of the project is construction of a “jughandle” shaped roadway configuration.
The intersection of Hwy 213/Washington Street/Clackamas River Drive will be rebuilt and Washington Street realigned to pass
under Hwy 213 just south of the existing railroad bridge. This new looping roadway configuration will enable motorists
to travel in all directions to and from Hwy 213, Washington Street and Clackamas River Drive, without making left turns across
the highway that stop the flow of traffic. The new underpass will also provide a significantly safer east-west crossing for
bicyclists and pedestrians traveling between Washington Street and Clackamas River Drive. Other features of the Jughandle
Project include the addition of a third northbound travel lane on Hwy 213, upgraded signals with traffic sensors, sidewalks
on Washington Street, and distinctive new landscaping that will highlight the northeastern gateway to Oregon City.
More information
