Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

About the Project

OR 6 and NW Aerts Road Intersection Improvement

 Check out the before and after graphics by clicking and dragging the arrows on the image above.

​​​We're working with the City of Banks, Washington County and a local developer to improve safety and address future traffic needs at the OR 6 and NW Aerts Road intersection. 

This is in connection with a proposed land development along the northwest corner of the intersection, which will realign the Washington Avenue connection and help address existing safety concerns at this int​​ersection.​

Project Area Map showing roundabout

D​esign for this project started in 2024 and construction is planned to start later this year.​ Construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2026.

The project will cost roughly $6 million and is entirely funded by local and private funds.​

 

This intersection has a history of crashes. The City of Banks and Washington County explored potential solutions while developing their Transportation System Plan (TSP).

Through the plan process, it was determined that stop signs and traffic signals would not meet future capacity requirements. They would cause excessive traffic queuing along the highway and potentially increase the number of rear-en​d crashes.

Stop Sign and Stop Light  

A single lane​ roundabout with a separate westbound right turn lane was the best long-term solution to the traffic safety and capacity issues at the OR 6 and NW Aerts Road intersection for the next 20 years.
Roundabout Sign 

​Before building a roundabout on a state highway, we have to make sure it will solve the safety issues and that it is correctly sized for the type of vehicles and the amount of traffic using the road.

​This roundabout is being designed to accommodate the types of vehicles that currently use this intersection, including school buses, farm equipment, trucks with trailers and oversized freight trucks.​​

The team has looked at over twenty different truck, equipment and vehicle types and how they will move through the round​​about. The diagram below shows the path and how a typical freight truck would go through.

Image showing how a truck moves through the roundabout​​

 

​The roundabout will have:
  • A single travel lane in the roundabout.
  • Westbound right turn lane off of OR 6 onto NW ​​​Aerts Road.
  • No access from NW Washington Avenue to the NW Aerts Road and OR 6 intersection.
  • Mountable truck aprons for loads that need extra room to make the turns in the roundabout.
  • A mountable center island can be used by vehicles or large farm equipment, with appropriate permits, to move through the roundabout.
  • Bike and pedestrian crossings on both Aerts Road and OR 6.
  • Walking/bike path connecting roundabout to the future development.​

Roundabout Sign ​