General - Highlights in Highway 99W and Tigard History Highlights in Highway 99W and Tigard History
• 1917: Predecessor of Highway 99W route is mapped by the state and declared to be of
primary importance to be"permanently constructed and finished with a hard surface." The
route was generally from the Multnomah County line through Tigard,Newberg,
McMinnville,Corvallis to Junction City. It was originally known as the West Side Highway,
and later West Side Pacific Highway. Capitol Highway in Portland is later designated as part
of the route.
a 1928: Population of Tigard is 328 residents.
• 1937: Barbur Blvd.is completed and is designated the new connection from downtown
Portland to the rest of the route (instead of Capitol Highway.) US-99 route is officially split
into two routes on either side of the Willamette River:Pacific Highway West(99W) and
Pacific Highway East(99E).
• 1940:The Pacific Highway West viaduct is opened.It diverts the route off of Tigard's Main
Street to avoid the at-grade rail crossing.The viaduct changed the dynamic of Main Street by
reducing the number of street connections and impacting properties on the northwestern
side of the street. Downtown Tigard was prevented from developing a traditional compact
urban form.
• 1948: ODOT designates certain Oregon roads as throughways. Roads were surveyed and if
more than 10 businesses were present in any given mile,that section was considered an
"excepted portion."Due to the presence of many retail stores,restaurants,and gas stations
serving motorists on Tigard's section of Pacific Highway West,a large part of it did not meet
the standards of a"throughway."The section south to the Tualatin River was designated a
throughway,however.
• 1956 : National Interstate and Defense Highways Act authorizes the Federal government to
create a network of limited-access highways throughout the country.
• 1961:The Baldock Freeway is completed from Tigard to Downtown Portland and is
designated as I-5 / US 99.
• 1961:Tigard is incorporated.Tigard population: 1,084
1972: U.S. Route 99W is decommissioned as a Federal Highway and redesignated ORE-
99W. Tigard population: 7,300
IALRPLN\Sean\99W\counci1 items\Highlights in Tigard Highway 99W History.docx
Highway 99W Accomplishments:
• Tigard 99W Improvement and Management Plan:The Tigard 99W Improvement Plan
was funded by a grant from the Transportation and Growth Management Program (TGM)
and completed in 2007. In 2009,some of these recommendations were implemented by
amending the Transportation System Plan and Development Code. Hwy 99W was
designated as 5 lanes throughout Tigard,with provisions for additional turn lanes and
intersection improvements.
• Bull Mountain Rd at Highway 99W Right-turn Lane Widening:The City of Tigard,
Washington County,and ODOT worked together to improve the right-turn lane from Bull
Mountain Road onto southbound Highway 99W.The project enlarged the turning radius
and widened the right-turn lane at the Bull Mountain Road/Highway 99W intersection.The
project also repaired the storm drain outfall and installed a sidewalk next to the new lane.
The project was funded through the Urban Services Traffic Impact Fee Fund.
• Greenburg Rd/Hwy 99W Improvements:The 3¢Gas Tax took effect on April 1,2007.
The Tigard gas tax was developed by a citizen task force who recommended it as a way to
fund improvements to the Greenburg Rd./99W/Main St.intersection. Collections from the
tax are dedicated only to this project.
• Metro's High Capacity Transit Plan:The plan calls for a focus on three transit corridors
for investment in the near-term: the corridor in the vicinity of Powell Boulevard,connecting
Gresham to downtown Portland,the corridor in the vicinity of Barbur Boulevard/Highway
99W,connecting downtown Portland to Tigard and possibly Sherwood,and the WES
commuter rail corridor that connects Beaverton to Wilsonville,which could see WES service
upgraded to all day service with trains running at 15-minute intervals.
• Tigard High Capacity Transit Corridor Land Use Plan TGM Grant:Tigard partnered
with Metro in the preparation of a successful TGM Grant application for a HCT Corridor
Land Use Plan for Hwy 99W in Tigard.
• Metro's Mobility Corridors Study:Designation of Hwy 99W as a Mobility Corridor has
many benefits,including greater priority to receive potential regional and state improvement
funding. It also will assist with efforts to pursue alternative modes along or parallel to
Highway 99W,and grants to study and develop plans for efficient land use in the corridor.
• ODOT Region 1's Recommended Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP)Tigard Projects: $3 million recommended in project list for Hwy 99W/ Gaarde/
McDonald,a Northbound right turn lane is also being recommended from 68t,to I-5.
• Signal Equipment Upgrade:Traffic signals on Hwy 99W were upgraded to allow the
timing of intersection signals for smoother traffic flow.
• Entryway Monuments: As part of a plan to give the city its own unique image,the City will
install entryway monuments along six major thoroughfares into the city.The first two
monuments were completed recently and are located just off(1) Hwy 99W northbound,just
south of Durham Road and (2) Walnut Street eastbound,just east of Barrows Road. Future
signs will be placed on 72nd Avenue northbound,north of Bridgeport Village,and on Hwy
99W southbound,just south of 65th Avenue and Interstate 5.
• I-5 to Hwy 99W Connector Project:The I-5/Hwy 99W Connector planning effort did not
result in the recommendation of a new major road connector.As a result,Metro and ODOT
believe more funds should be directed to Hwy 99W.
I:\LRPLN\Sean\99W\Counci1 items\Highway 99W Accomplishments.docx