Verda Lane is on its way to a major makeover.
The city of Keizer has pinned down funding for improving the street from Dearborn Avenue to the Salem Parkway.
The project will improve and add sidewalks and a bicycle lane for a stretch that is about three-quarters of a mile. The street itself will be widened and repaved.
And Northeast Claxter Road, which intersects Verda Lane at an unusual angle, will be rebuilt, creating a new intersection with Alder Drive.
Bill Lawyer, Keizer public works director, said the project will go out to bid later this year, with construction expected to start in spring 2026. The work is expected to take about eight months.
The long-planned improvements have been a priority for residents in the area.
“Our goal is to create a safer route for pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Tammy Kunz, president of the Greater Northeast Keizer Neighborhood Association. “Having Verda Lane get done for families means peace of mind.”
Lawyer said an open house held earlier by the city to explain the project was well attended.
“There was not really any controversy,” he said.
The project on a street that carries about 10,000 vehicles a day has long been in the works. The city applied for federal funding in 2016.
“The existing improvements are unsafe and place people in situations of conflict,” according to the application. “The improvements would increase the safety and quality of life for the residents of the area.”
To make way for the improvements, the city worked with the state Transportation Department to acquire land from 35 properties. Lawyer said most involved small slices. One home had to be acquired for the Claxter Road work, he said, but the owner was already planning to sell.
The $9.4 million project will be funded by $7 million in federal funds which Lawyer said are not in jeopardy even with the current federal alignment underway. Another $2.4 million is coming from the city’s street fund.
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