County says NW Newberry road will be fixed by summer/fall 2018

Landslide and damage to NW Newberry.
(Photo: Multnomah Countyu)

Multnomah County issued advisories for two roads in the west hills that are popular with local riders.

They’ve released a date for when NW Newberry will be fixed and re-opened. And they’ve announced a new, upcoming closure of the west side of NW Germantown.

Winter storms pummeled NW Newberry Road into submission, causing a major landslide about a half-mile up from Highway 30. The landslide caused the pavement of the northern (uphill) lane to completely split apart and fall down a hill. As a result, Multnomah County closed the road on January 18th. Concrete jersey barriers were placed across the road in both directions. While the road is technically closed, bicycle riders have continued to use it by going around the barriers to enjoy a quiet and safe, carfree road.

At a recent public meeting, County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson said a federal grant has helped with the repair project. Yesterday, the County issued a statement saying they’ve begun working on a retaining wall needed to support the new road. Construction is set to begin in late spring 2018 and the road should reopen to all users by late summer/early fall of the same year.

The west side of NW Germantown Road about 3/4 of a mile up from where it splits with Old Germantown also has a landslide. The County says it’s a “slow-moving” slide but they plan to do some repairs late next month. Thankfully this section of Germantown isn’t a main bicycling route because most people opt for nearby Old Germantown Road due to its lower traffic volume. However, the County plans to close Germantown from Kaiser to Skyline for up to one week while they make repairs. This means you might not be able to access Old Germantown during construction. The County says residents will retain access; but it’s not clear whether or not crews will let bicycle users through to reach Old Germantown. UPDATE: County spokesman Mike Pullen says that although it won’t be an official detour for motor vehicle users due to its narrow and winding profile, Old Germantown Road will remain accessible to bicycle users throughout the project.

To stay updated on rural road conditions, follow @MultCoRoads on Twitter.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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