- The City of Portland has a new project on Broadway Blvd, but the expansion comes after a list of headaches.
- Kenny Banks is the Director of the Public Works for the City of Portland. He said that the new streets will come with the AI technology.
- Portland's Public Works Director told KRIS 6 News that construction should be completed sometime in January.
Portland drivers might have noticed construction on Broadway in Portland. City leaders said is to help ease traffic congestion.
Elian Martinez works for Murphy’s in front of the construction. He said that before construction, he had to wait a long time to leave work.
“I’m leaving at like seven and people are going to work. I’m here 10 to 20 minutes after I am out of work. I haven’t even left the parking lot,” Martinez said.
The city of Portland has a new project on Broadway Blvd., but the expansion comes after a list of headaches.
Avid bicyclist and Portland resident Miguel said that when he is going home from work that it takes him a long time to cross the street.
“I’m on a bicycle and it takes me 20, well when that road was open to get over there, now I have to go around now it takes me longer.”
Martinez said that Broadway is a hot spot for accidents. He said that sometimes people don’t see people coming down the street.
“It was a family; it was a little minivan full of kids with their mom and someone was pulling out of our store and they side swiped them because they didn’t see each other,” Martinez said.
Kenny Banks, the director of the Public Works for the city of Portland, said that the new streets will come with the AI technology.
“We started with a traffic study to determine what the traffic pattern look and from that study, it kind of examined how we needed to treat this road to be able to accommodate the upcoming traffic,” Banks said.
However, he said that the technology will be able to be used for future traffic changes.
“So, as traffic patterns improve respond to this new improvement in the roadway and especially as traffic patterns change in the future, we’ll be able to have a signal that will actually learn those patterns and be able to effectively manage the traffic systems,” Banks said.
Portland's Public Works Director told KRIS 6 News that construction should be completed sometime in January.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
