The four-month Walker Road closure that begins Monday, Aug. 3, is the first visible phase of an estimated $22.9 million overhaul that will widen the road to five lanes between NW 173rd and NW 185th avenues, adding bike lanes, sidewalks, a new traffic signal, sound walls, and landscaping along the commercial corridor serving Bethany Village.
Washington County Land Use & Transportation expects the full project to wrap up by June 2028, according to the Beaverton Valley Times and the county's project page.
What's closing now
Walker Road will be fully shut between NW 174th Terrace and NW Cambray Street from Aug. 3 through Dec. 1 while crews replace an aging culvert at Willow Creek. The work will raise the road 8 to 10 feet at the crossing, eliminating a dip that currently limits sight lines for drivers. The new culvert will also improve creek health and allow wildlife to pass safely beneath the road.
Detour routes are posted on Washington County's road closure tracker.
What the finished road looks like
When complete, the stretch will carry two travel lanes in each direction plus a continuous center turn lane. Washington County Land Use & Transportation said the finished corridor will include dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides, a new traffic signal at NW 178th Avenue and NW Cambray Street, improved street lighting, sound walls on several properties, and new landscaping.
The project will directly affect 16 properties along the corridor, according to an intergovernmental agreement filed with the county. Some residents requested additional sound walls at locations that do not meet the county's traffic noise mitigation criteria; those walls are not included.
Overlapping construction
Bethany-area drivers already face lane closures on Walker Road near Butner Road and on Murray Boulevard for the separate Walker Road/Murray Boulevard intersection project, which runs through Oct. 31, 2028, according to the county's road tracker. That means years of simultaneous construction on two of the corridor's busiest routes.
Funding and contract
Phase 3 is funded through Washington County's Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP) and the City of Beaverton, which is paying an estimated $4.6 million for water main construction within the project limits. The $22.9 million cost estimate comes from 2024 county planning documents; the final contract value with Tapani Inc. has not been publicly disclosed.
The Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on May 19 to award the contract to Tapani Inc. after an earlier award was rescinded following a bid protest. The vote was unanimous. Stephen Roberts, director of Land Use & Transportation, presented the item to the board.
As we reported July 24, the initial closure caught the attention of Bethany Village shoppers and commuters. The broader two-year timeline means businesses along the corridor face an extended period of reduced access before the wider road opens in mid-2028.
What's next
Residents and business owners can contact Washington County Land Use & Transportation at [email protected] or 503-846-7800 for project updates. The next milestone after the Dec. 1 reopening of the culvert section has not been publicly announced.
