Officials from Multnomah County, ODOT, the city of Fairview and Metro celebrated the grand opening of a newly widened 223rd Avenue in Fairview on Wednesday. Improvements include a new wider railroad bridge above the road, two wider traffic lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks.
The $8 million project received funding from a variety of sources, including $2.1 million from the Metro-administered Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program in 2005. MTIP funds pay for local transportation projects that are identified by local communities and approved by the Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation.
Metro Councilor Rod Park, Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel, Fairview Mayor Mike Weatherby and other officials were on hand for the celebration. In his remarks, Park noted the project's importance to supporting jobs and transportation safety and providing connections between communities in East Multnomah County and with growing industrial areas, Blue Lake Park and the Columbia River. The project also provides for safer bicycle and transit options in Fairview.