July 5, 2024 | View as webpage

"Bleeding" roads can cause slick travel conditions

This week's prolonged high temperatures may cause pavement bleeding, which can result in slippery travel conditions.

Long periods of heat can cause a shiny, oily-looking film of asphalt binder to "bleed" out of the road. Factors that contribute to pavement bleeding in some locations include direct exposure to sunlight, the percentage of oil in the road surface, the amount of heavy truck traffic and how much heat the asphalt holds overnight.

Pavement bleeding can cause slippery road conditions. Use caution if roads appear oily and sound "tacky".

To report hazardous road conditions, call:

• 503-846-7623 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays or
• 503-629-0111 (Washington county Sheriff’s Office non-emergency) at all other times.

First part of summer paving schedule available

The first part of our summer 2024 paving schedule is now online.

Our contractors will grind down asphalt and apply a new layer on nine County roads between July and August.

We also plan to slurry seal 54 neighborhood streets between August and September. Schedules will be posted when they become available.

We have already notified residents who live on or nearby roads that are being paved. Those residents will receive another notice about 24 hours before work is scheduled to begin. “No parking” signs will be posted on the streets and all vehicles must be moved by the indicated time on the scheduled day.

See the full list of roads and the anticipated paving schedule. Schedules may change because of weather, contractor operations or available materials.

ODOT lane closures on Scholls Ferry Road/OR 217 overpass scheduled

ODOT will close one lane of Scholls Ferry Road in each direction at the overpass over OR 217 for up to four months, starting Monday, July 8.

One lane will be open in each direction from Washington Square Road to Cascade Avenue. No left turns will be allowed from Scholls Ferry Road heading onto the southbound OR 217 on-ramp. Drivers impacted by the left-turn restriction can use Cascade Avenue to get to the interchanges at Hall Boulevard or Greenburg Road.

Crews will be upgrading the safety railing and repaving the overpass as part of ODOT's OR 217 Auxiliary Lanes project.

• Gerda Lane/Tualatin-Sherwood Road intersection; nighttime road closure July 8-22 for water supply line installation.

Visit wc-roads.com for more traffic impacts.

At Washington County, we believe our employees and services should reflect our growing and diverse community. We understand that taking care of our community means taking care of our employees.

Discover career opportunities with Land Use & Transportation! We're committed to building and maintaining a great transportation system and planning and protecting our community's land. Open positions include:

• Inspection Supervisor, full time regular

Learn what's going on in your area of Washington County. Attend your Community Participation Organization (CPO). CPOs are made up of community members who work together and are actively engaged in decision-making processes. Find out which CPO you live in and learn more.