The City of Battle Ground has extended the closure of Northeast 92nd Avenue bordering the west edge of city limits between Northeast 239th Street and state Route 502/West Main Street as utility work tied to the Village at Cherry Grove subdivision continues past its originally expected October 2025 completion.
City officials re-issued a right-of-way permit allowing a contractor to resume work on utilities and road repairs along Northeast 92nd Avenue between Northeast 239th Street and state Route 502. The closure, which began in August, will extend to July 17.
The road will remain closed to through traffic during that time, though residents within the closure area and visitors to Cherry Grove Church will still have limited access depending on construction activity.
The closure is tied to the Village at Cherry Grove subdivision, a project that will divide a roughly 20-acre parcel at 23121 NE 92nd Ave. into 180 lots for single-family attached homes along with open space, parks and stormwater facilities. The site is zoned residential with a maximum density of 10 units per acre.
Utilities required for the development must be installed within the roadway, which is why at least one lane cannot remain partially open during this portion of construction, according to city engineer Ryan Jeynes.
"It's based upon the location of where the utilities are; they're right down the middle, roughly speaking,” Jeynes said. “So if they're down the middle, it's hard to keep one side open and keep the workers and the citizens safe because there's not enough room to drive alongside the work zone."
The contractor performing the work operates under a right-of-way permit issued by the city because the installation occurs within public roadway space. The contractor works for the private developer, not the city, according to Jeynes.
Construction on the roadway first prompted a closure of Northeast 92nd Avenue on Aug. 26, 2025. At that time, the contractor estimated the work would take about six weeks.
"Based upon the initial information for the first right-of-way permit, they stated (in) six weeks they would be done, which would have been around Oct. 6 of last year,” Jeynes said. “Obviously, the work wasn't completed at that time."
When the original permit expired in late November 2025, the roadway had not yet been fully restored. The new permit allows the contractor to continue the project and complete the required work.
City communications manager Alisha Smith said the road has not been formally reopened since the original closure, though temporary driving conditions have been established for local access.
During construction, crews will generally work Monday through Saturday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Detour routes use Northeast 239th Street and Highway 503/West Main Street for east-west travel and Northeast 72nd Avenue and Northeast 20th Avenue for north-south connections.
The contractor is required to coordinate access for residents and visitors to Cherry Grove Church and to notify them when construction phases shift along the corridor. Emergency services, the Battle Ground School District, postal services, Waste Connections and other essential services have also been notified of the closure.
City officials said they recognize the prolonged closure has been inconvenient for nearby residents.
"We want to say thank you to the citizens for their patience,” Jeynes said.
Separate infrastructure work is also nearing completion nearby. The Northeast 92nd Avenue pump station, a city capital project designed to support future sewer service in the area, is currently undergoing final pump testing. Once complete, the facility will provide sewer capacity for future development in the area, though it is not directly connected to the current road closure.
The area is also tied to broader long-term growth planning. Battle Ground has proposed expanding its urban growth boundary westward toward Dollars Corner, though the proposal still awaits action from the Clark County Council as part of the county’s comprehensive plan update under the state Growth Management Act, which has been delayed past its Dec. 31, 2025, deadline.
