Clackamas County will celebrate the completion of a new roundabout at Stafford Road and Childs Road on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 2 to 3 p.m.
The grand opening marks a milestone in an $18 million road improvement project that has disrupted travel for Lake Oswego and West Linn commuters through the Stafford area for more than a year. The county's project page lists the work as funded through Community Road Funds and Transportation System Development Charges.
The roundabout itself is already in use. Stafford Road between Rosemont Road and Childs Road reopened Sept. 1, according to the West Linn Tidings. The county had closed the road intermittently starting in May 2025, forcing drivers onto detour routes via I-205, I-5, Boones Ferry Road and Country Club Road.
The project goes well beyond the roundabout. Crews realigned Johnson Road to eliminate a dangerous intersection skew and reduce steep grades.
The work also added a southbound left-turn lane at Johnson Road and widened Stafford Road between Pattulo Way and Rosemont Road to include bike lanes. Workers replaced the Pecan Creek culvert at Childs Road with a larger, fish-passable structure.
County staffer Mike Ward told the West Linn Tidings on Aug. 25 that the construction contract is running about $12.5 million, roughly 5% over the initial contract price but within the project's budget range. The county's project page lists the overall estimate at $18 million, a figure that includes design and right-of-way acquisition dating to 2021.
"The roundabout geometry requires drivers to go slower and makes it significantly safer at that point of conflict," Ward told the Tidings.
Not all work is finished.
Stafford Road and Johnson Road remain closed to through traffic from north of Pattulo Way to south of Childs Road. All roads are scheduled to reopen Thursday, Oct. 1, with construction continuing under flagging through Thursday, Dec. 31.
The county's event listing does not specify whether elected officials will attend or what activities are planned. Residents with questions can call the project information hotline at 503-742-4691.
