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Project-Details







U.S. 26 Rhododendron Design Refinement Plan

Planning Phase

Region 1: Portland metro and Hood River County (Clackamas)


​​​The U.S. 26 Rhododendron Design Refinement Plan aims to address transportation safety, access and connectivity issues for the community of Rhododendron.


Impacts

Schedule

​This project kicked off in April 2022 with final final street design elements and a concept plan in April 2023. 

Rhododendron project schedule.png


Details

About

​The refinement plan goals include the following:

  • Identify the appropriate number of highway lanes in Rhododendron.
  • Identify the safest location(s) for people to cross the highway.
  • Evaluate entry and exit points to adjacent destinations and businesses.
  • Explore multimodal improvements such as sidewalks, bus stops, bicycle lanes and dedicated driveways.
  • Evaluate locations, designs and access to bus stops.
  • Work with the public and key stakeholders to ensure a range of voices are considered.
View the completed plan. 

Project area at Rhododendron between Sandy and Government Camp, including local destination such as bus stops, grocery.

Project Background

The Rhododendron community first described their desire to document existing conditions related to transportation and set future goals for this section of the highway in the Rhody Rising Vision Plan in 2018. In 2021, Clackamas County developed the Rhododendron Main Street Redevelopment Concept Plan with funding from a Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Planning grant. This plan helps the County, local residents and businesses plan for redevelopment in a way that reduces demand on the transportation system while accommodating desired workforce housing. To read more about the Concept Plan, visit Clackamas County's project website.

Corridor Vision for Rhododendron

Mt. Hood Highway (U.S. 26) connects the Portland Metro Area to Central Oregon and serves as Rhodendron's primary thoroughfare. It provides access to basic necessities and local services such as the post office, groceries, and restaurants. The Highway within the community promotes safe walking, biking, rolling, and driving. This includes features that promote traffic calming and reduce travel speeds. The Highway offers safe and convenient options to access businesses, trails, and transit stops. Rhododendron is also a base camp for those taking transit up the mountain where they can ski, hike and mountain bike in the Mt Hood National Forest. Rhododendron is vibrant, with unique history, natural beauty, diversity of businesses and transportation facilities that serve all ages and abilities. 

Read our Corridor Vision Statement Memo to learn more about how we developed the statement. 

What's in a refinement plan?

Refinement plans help determine the look and function of a project area and provide guidance on how to implement a project. In this case, the U.S. 26 Rhododendron Design Refinement Plan will build upon concepts developed in the Rhododendron Main Street Redevelopment Concept Plan​.


Location

U.S. 26 |

Mt. Hood Highway in Rhododendron

Cost and Funding

​$150,000 for developing the plan. Projects suggested in the plan will be designed and built based on available funding.

Additional Information

​For ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or Civil Rights Title VI accommodations, translation/interpretation services, or more information call 503-731-4128, TTY 800-735-2900 or Oregon Relay Service 7-1-1.

¿Hablas español? Podemos proporcionar la información de esta publicación en español. Para recibir información por favor llame al 503-731-4128.

Contacts & Media

Project Contact

Major Projects Planner
Sandra Hikari
Email
sandra.y.hikari@odot.oregon.gov
Phone
(503) 731-8246

Last Updated

9/19/2023 2:16 PM

Project Number

US26RDRP

Project Documents

Related documents to this project
Rhododendron Project Factsheet - Final.pdf
Corridor Vision Statement - Final.pdfCorridor Vision Statement
TM2-Performance-Based-Design-Framework-US26DRP.pdfMemo on performance-based design decision framework.
TM3-Plan-Policy-Literature-US26DRP.pdfMemo on plan, policy and literature review.
TM4-Safety-Operations-Active-US26DRP.pdfMemo on safety, operations and active transportation analysis
TM1-PerformanceMeasures-US26DRP.pdfMemo on evaluation criteria and performance measures.
TM5-Design-Refinement-Alternatives-US26DRP.pdfMemo on design refinement and alternatives evaluation.
Design-Refinement-Plan-US26DRP.pdfDesign Refinement Plan from April 2023