Tualatin council unanimously approves consultant study for 12th/Sherwood/Boones Ferry railroad intersection

Tualatin — The City Council on [date of meeting] unanimously adopted Resolution No. 5939-26 to authorize a consultant contract with Kittleson for a Phase 1 concept evaluation of the 12th Avenue/Sherwood Road/Boones Ferry Road railroad intersection.

City engineer Mike McCarthy told council the intersection ranks high on county crash lists, is difficult for pedestrians and bicyclists, and can remain congested for 20–30 minutes when long trains block crossings. The study will produce a high-level analysis of options — including no-build, surface improvements with added turn lanes, and grade-separated alternatives such as a bridge or tunnel — and provide order-of-magnitude cost estimates and feasibility constraints.

The first phase will screen families of options and identify feasible finalists, McCarthy said, noting that large, grade-separated projects typically require federal or outside funding, environmental permitting, property acquisition and multiagency coordination. He said a major build could push a final celebratory completion date into the mid-2030s if the city pursues a big-build path.

Council members repeatedly asked staff to clarify what options are realistically feasible. Council President Pratt said the initial phase should identify which options are feasible before broad public outreach, and McCarthy agreed. Staff flagged floodplain constraints that would likely eliminate some tunnel concepts and noted the consultant team’s experience with rail and structure design.

McCarthy said staff have reached out to Portland & Western Railroad and plan to invite railroad staff and other partners — Washington County, ODOT Rail and TriMet — to participate in technical workgroups and meetings. He cautioned that some railroad national offices have asked municipalities to pay for attendance in the past, and that the city has not yet executed any such agreements.

The council voted to authorize the contract and directed staff to return with the study’s initial deliverables and public‑engagement plan. The resolution passed by roll call vote with unanimous support.

Next steps: staff and the consultant will prepare the Phase 1 deliverables and present finalists and order-of-magnitude cost ranges to council for further direction. The city emphasized that any large build would require additional funding, permitting and potentially years of design and environmental review.