ODOT presents Perrydale–Kings Valley roundabout plan; Polk County seeks contract clarifications

Oregon Department of Transportation officials on Dec. 10 presented the Perrydale Road to Kings Valley Highway safety project to the Polk County Board of Commissioners and asked the county to sign an agreement allowing work in county right of way and temporary acquisition of easements. For the record, Chair and multiple commissioners emphasized the project is ODOT‑led, not a county obligation: "Bottom line is this is an ODOT project, not a Polk County project," the chair said.

Anna Henson, ODOT area manager, introduced the presentation and handed it to Paul Welch, the project's senior project manager. Welch described two primary work areas: a realignment and safety improvements at the Perrydale Road intersection and a new roundabout at Kings Valley/Smithfield/Cobell roads. ODOT framed the work as a federally funded safety project intended to reduce severe crashes and fatalities at a high‑priority location on OR‑22.

ODOT provided a near‑term schedule and procurement milestones. Staff said the internal "PS need" deadline to submit completed paperwork is Dec. 22, 2025 and that the agency expects to advertise the project for bids in late January 2026 with a four‑week bid period and an anticipated contractor selection early in 2026 (the transcript listed a Feb. 19 date with an apparent transcription error; ODOT described the procurement as a winter‑to‑early‑spring timeline). The project team said their objective is to complete construction in one season (spring through fall 2026) but warned that utility relocations — notably Northwest Natural's high‑pressure gas line — present a key schedule risk; ODOT said Northwest Natural has indicated it expects to complete relocations by June 12 so contractors can proceed.

ODOT explained staged closures and local detours. Stage 1 will close the Perrydale intersection for roughly two to three weeks to perform the realignment; later stages will require longer closures of Kings Valley, Smithfield and Colville roads while the roundabout is built. Residents along Perrydale would detour through Dallas and use Kings Valley Highway or Highway 223 to reach points east or west. ODOT said detours are intended for local traffic and that they modeled truck movements using standard turning templates (WB‑67 / WB‑60) and mountable truck aprons so common commercial vehicles and occasional oversized moves can be accommodated.

County commissioners raised operational concerns and requested further outreach. Commissioners asked whether Smithfield Road could remain open on the north side during construction; ODOT replied that grade changes and right‑of‑way limits make maintaining that access impractical for a one‑season approach and that keeping it open could extend the work to two seasons. Commissioners also asked whether large local freight operators (identified in the meeting as Maduri Farms) had been contacted; ODOT said it had met previously with the farm under prior ownership and agreed to follow up with current ownership.

Two operational issues were left unresolved at the presentation. Commissioners pressed ODOT on dust control and the county's potential responsibility for wear on alternate gravel detour roads; ODOT acknowledged dust suppression had not been finalized and pointed to contract language and a mediation clause as tools for resolving disputes but said Polk County staff and legal counsel should review the agreement before the county signs. The board asked for a county public‑works and legal review this week; ODOT agreed to meet with county staff and expected that, if stakeholders reach agreement, the county could sign the agreement soon after.

ODOT also provided short updates on related regional projects: the Bethel Road safety project is in design and expected to bid in April 2026 with construction next summer, and an OR‑22/51 interchange overcrossing is in early design with a rough construction‑cost estimate around $50 million (construction funding not yet identified). On Stapleton Road, ODOT described installed flashing stop signs and discussed transverse rumble strip spacing relative to MUTCD requirements and neighborhood noise concerns.

The board did not take a final vote on the ODOT agreement at the meeting. Commissioners approved routine agenda items and adjourned after setting a follow‑up plan: county staff will review contract language (including dispute‑resolution provisions and how detour‑related impacts are handled) with ODOT and return to the board with recommendations. The meeting adjourned with no executive session called.