Construction will close roads around Camas’ coming roundabout

The next phase of construction on the Northwest Sixth Avenue and Northwest Norwood Street roundabout will start this week, and that means some road closures are coming to Camas.

On Monday, both offramps at Exit 12 of state Highway 14 will close at 9 p.m. and remain closed until 6 a.m. Tuesday. That will allow for new striping and other improvements to the ramps.

Starting Wednesday, the north leg of the intersection at Northwest Sixth Avenue and Northwest Norwood Street will be closed for about four or five weeks. There will be a temporary access road for those looking to head west on Highway 14 from Northwest Sixth Place east of Northwest Sierra Lane. During that time, the construction crew will build the northerly portion of the roundabout, said James Hodges, project manager with the city of Camas.

“This next phase probably has the biggest impact to traffic,” he said.

Construction on the city-funded $2.2 million project started in late May and is expected to last until late October or early November, according to Hodges.

“We’ve known that we needed to do something to improve the intersection for quite a while,” he said. “First, we looked at putting in a traffic signal, but we decided a roundabout is the best way to go. By installing a roundabout, everybody gets to continue to move through the intersection, but everybody has to slow down.”

After the current phase is completed, the crew will have to construct the portions of the intersection on Northwest Sixth Avenue and all of the roundabout.

Once the roundabout is completed, some planting and landscaping will be done next year to fully complete the project. Some of that landscaping will take place in the roundabout’s island, which will also have a sign for the city and possibly an art project, Hodges said.

“It’s what we consider a gateway transportation route into town,” Hodges said. “We want to use it to welcome people into Camas.”

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