October 17, 2019 Do you know how it feels when you’re in a hurry, or have travelled a long way, and you come up to a “road closed” sign? Frustrating, right? Have you ever thought about going around those signs? Well, I’m here to tell you – DON’T! If there’s one thing road managers hate to do, it’s close roads. But they do so for a reason – and very good reasons at that. Roads are closed when it’s unsafe to travel on them. Construction, flooding, and landslides are often the reason. Construction workers need space to work, and when a road is closed, they know they can move about safely. A motorist driving up to or through a construction area can take them by surprise or hurt them, let alone cause other significant damag...

August 22, 2019 Columbia County commissioners will host a public hearing on Wednesday, August 7, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the formation of a service district to support CC Rider, the county’s transit service. Commissioners will take comments from the public before voting on a ballot measure title and description the new district. This is the second hearing on the subject; the first was on July 10, A service district will give CC Rider a permanent source of funding to plan for and grow the bus service. Currently, CC Rider is on restricted routes because of the lack of funding and debt obligations. A service district would also allow CC Rider to remain under the guidance of the County Board of Commissioners with support from county departments such as legal, finance, and ...

June 13, 2019 Safety and access improvements on Gable Road west of Highway 30 began this week under a contract between Columbia County’s Public Works Department and TFT Construction Inc. of Scappoose, Oregon.  Sidewalks, bike lanes and new storm and sanitary sewer lines, among other upgrades, will be added to the roadway from Columbia Boulevard to Highway 30. Two flasher units to aid in safety to and from school for the students will also be installed at the west and east ends of the school.  The contractors are currently relocating utilities and have completed staging areas along the work zone. Major detours will begin after June 13 – the last day of school for students at St. Helens High.  Gable Road will remain open to two-way traffic from Colum...

Interested in roads and transportation, and how Columbia County plans and manages our roads? Then apply to join our Transportation/Roads Advisory Committee. TRAC members act as a liaison between local communities and the County Public Works director. They gather public input on the county’s multi-modal transportation system and represent the community in regard to transportation concerns. These can include road operating policy, potential capital improvement projects or renovation plans, and overall department budget and funding. Apply online at: co.columbia.or.us/files/boc/volunteer_interest_form.pdf