The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will begin construction on a series of curb ramps in 2026 in Banks to make it easier for those with disabilities and wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, hand carts and bicycles to get from the road to a sidewalk.
The project in the Banks area is an ongoing effort to bring state highways up to current American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards, ODOT said.
According to ODOT, about 29 spots have been identified between Spreadborough Road south of Banks into almost the northern edge of Banks’ city limits at Market Street that will either see existing ramps redone or newly installed, or just a simple addition of signage and other minor work.
ODOT plans to add textured plates called truncated domes at sites identified in and near Banks.
“These allow pedestrians to feel, see and hear where the crossing is located and the direction they should go to safely cross the street,” ODOT said.
Examples of such devices can be seen at the crosswalk installed near the Banks Middle School and Banks High School in the fall of 2023.
“ADA curb ramps benefit everyone regardless of whether they have a disability. By making curb ramps gently slope to the road, it improves accessibility and promotes safer travel between the sidewalk and road,” ODOT said.
On Dec. 10, 2024, the Banks City Council unanimously passed a resolution to sign an intergovernmental agreement between the city and ODOT to approve the ramp project that falls within city limits.
A project cost estimate from ODOT pegged the total at $1.6 million, but in the Dec. 10 agreement signed by the city and ODOT, the estimate was $2.65 million, all of which will be paid by ODOT, who said the estimate was subject to change at their discretion.
Any portion of the completed project that falls within the city right-of-way will be maintained by the city of Banks.
According to city documents, streets in Banks that will see impacts from construction starting in 2026 are Market Street, Depot Street, Sunset Street, Wilkes Street, Trellis Way and Oak Way, all in areas where they meet Main Street, which doubles as Highway 47.
Also noted as seeing minor impacts would be Log Cabin Park, one of Banks’ two city parks, which is located at the corner of Main Street and Sunset Avenue.
While construction began on an earlier phase of the project on Dec. 9 in Forest Grove and Gaston on Highway 47, and will start in Vernonia in 2025, the middle portion of the highway in the Banks region won’t happen until 2026, ODOT said.
“Not all intersections or curb locations are the same,” the state department said on a webpage dedicated to the project. “Some are construction-ready and others may have fire hydrants, utility boxes, utility poles, additional land requirements or we need an environmental permit. These are things we consider when scheduling the curb ramp construction in each city,” ODOT explained.
Now in the design phase, construction will begin at some point in 2026.
And while the exact impacts to traffic, pedestrian use and access during construction hasn’t yet been outlined, the Forest Grove portion of the project saw these impacts, according to ODOT:
- Shoulder and lane closures as needed.
- Flaggers helping direct traffic as needed.
- Delays, construction noise and dust.
- Crews mostly working during the day, Monday through Friday.
- Occasional night work as needed.
More information can be found online at a webpage for the project. Those interested in receiving emailed updates can sign up there for updates as they are issued by ODOT.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
