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The following update is from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Plan ahead for southbound Highway 217 travel this week! The right lane closure between Hall Boulevard and Scholls Ferry Road caused big weekend backups, so make sure to plan ahead for weekday southbound trips. Take an alternate route or make fewer trips.

The lane is scheduled to remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday Sept. 19. Crews are working hard on much-needed major improvements to make smoother and safer trips for all travelers in the corridor. But for now, please be patient!

Columbia County residents and businesses that use Highway 217 in the Beaverton area need to plan for extended roadwork delays.

An eleven-day closure of one southbound highway lane and the southbound Hall Boulevard on-ramp is planned by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Crews are preparing to reinforce the highway shoulder on southbound Highway 217 in Beaverton between SW Hall Boulevard and SW Scholls Ferry Road to ensure it can support traffic when it becomes the future auxiliary lane. This will require closures to make sure that crews have room to safely perform this work, according to ODOT.

Here’s what you need to know

For 11 days around-the-clock, expect two significant closures:

This means that southbound OR 217 will be reduced to one lane between SW Hall Boulevard and SW Scholls Ferry Road for the whole 11-day period. Plan for delays on the highway and surrounding area. If you can, limit the amount you use OR 217, combine trips and/or shift your travel time away from the morning and evening commute. Check tripcheck.com before you leave for up-to-date traffic impacts.

As with all construction, the closure schedule is subject to change.

"We know this will be a disruption for many travelers and we’re working hard to complete this necessary work as safely and quickly as we can," ODOT said in an online advisory. "We appreciate your patience!"

Pile driving work at Fanno Creek and Highway 217

Crews have also been busy working on the west side of the highway to set the stage for the frontage road that will eventually replace the southbound SW Allen Boulevard on-ramp and SW Denney Road off-ramp. Part of this work includes building a new bridge over Fanno Creek.

Starting in September, pile driving - also described as heavy-duty hammering – is needed to hammer steel columns into the ground for the new bridge. This can be loud and is expected to occur intermittently for about a month on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

ODOT has established a 24/7 noise hotline for noise concerns. Call 503-412-2349. Look for updates at the project website with more details when specific dates are scheduled. This work will not impact traffic.

The OR 217 Auxiliary Lanes Project will construct auxiliary lanes in both directions of OR 217 between Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and Highway 99W.

Auxiliary lanes are ramp-to-ramp connections on the highway that help reduce congestion by giving drivers more space and time to merge safely. This decreases conflicts, improves safety and the flow of traffic, and ultimately allows the existing lanes to work more efficiently.

ODOT officials said they expect up to 73,000 hours of travel time saved each year with these improvements.

In partnership with the City of Beaverton and Washington County, ODOT is also making targeted improvements to local bicycle and pedestrian routes.

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