NE 137th Avenue Corridor Completion
Upgrading the Vancouver corridor from Northeast 49th Street to Fourth Plain Boulevard
We are working on a project to upgrade Northeast 137th Avenue, from Northeast 49th Street up to Fourth Plain Boulevard, by improving the roadway to current urban standards, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
Corridor Completion: Construction starts June 10, 2024
Construction along Northeast 137th Avenue, from Northeast 49th Street to Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard, started during the middle of June 2024. Improvements will widen the existing vehicle travel lanes to keep one lane in each direction and add a center turn lane north of NE 59th Street to Fourth Plain Boulevard. The finished project will also include sidewalks, bike/mobility paths, roundabouts, utility upgrades, street lighting, traffic signal modifications at Fourth Plain and landscaping along the new corridor.
Watch for these new street elements:
- Restriping existing NE 49th Street roundabout from a two-lane to a one-lane roundabout
- New roundabout at NE 52nd Street
- New roundabout at NE 54th Street
- New roundabout at the southern NE 59th Street to realign this offset intersection
Closure: Northeast 137th Avenue, from NE 52nd Street to just south NE 61st Street, will be closed during construction work in this area of the Burnt Bridge Creek starting in late June. Access to NE 52nd Street will be maintained for vehicles coming from or going to NE 49th Street. This full closure is necessary for crews to safely remove unsuitable soils from underneath the roadway, stabilize the new street and install a steel plate arched culvert over the Burnt Bridge Creek. This closure will last for about 10 months. Businesses north of the closure will be open.
Overall, this project will improve safety, increase mobility and enhance connectivity along the corridor. Project completion, including street paving, is currently anticipated in early 2026. These enhancements will improve our community’s transportation system with the completion of this corridor work.
Project Background
Planning for this project included determining whether to use traffic signals or roundabouts, resolving questions about rights of way and stormwater drainage, completing an environmental evaluation, designing a crossing of Burnt Bridge Creek, and selecting pedestrian and bicycle facilities, as well as coordinating with utility companies and local, state and federal agencies.
Improvements to this street are needed to enhance safety, manage access to the fronting properties and minimize delay now caused by turning vehicles. The completion of this corridor is important for the many users of this highly traveled north/south corridor. Improving the segment from 49th Street to Fourth Plain segment is the last piece needed to complete the corridor.
Public Input
The City provided information through communications with area neighborhood associations, and the public has participated and given input through stakeholder interviews, sounding boards and two open houses.
