On Oct. 18, orange delineator posts marked the new raised median on Santiam Highway, part of an ODOT safety project.
No doubt you have been wondering about ODOT’s safety projects on Pacific Boulevard and Santiam Highway in Albany. Are they ever going to get finished?
Yes, they are, and there’s a new schedule. That’s the word from Angela Beers-Seydel, the state transportation department’s spokeswoman for this area.
On Wednesday she told me by email she had just received an update from the project manager of both projects.
On Oregon 99E (Pacific) at Airport Road, the project called for new traffic signals and a turn lane. On U.S. 20 (Santiam Highway) from Geary Street to Waverly Drive, there’s a new sign bridge, a raised median to prevent some left turns, and a new signal at Waverly, along with new curb ramps.
At the new signal on Pacific at Airport Road, Beers-Seydel wrote, “the power hookup will be installed in mid- to late November. Once that is done the new signal will be turned on and the old signal removed.”
Also at that intersection: “The supply chain delays in getting the signal box components mean that paving and striping work will be done next spring or early summer when the weather is better again.”
No futher work is planned there from the end of November until next year’s paving.
At Waverly Drive and U.S. 20, the new signal is scheduled to be turned on in early to mid-November. This will be followed by removal of the old signal, and by completion of any remaining work on sidewalks and ramps at the intersection.
“Striping will be done when there’s a break in the weather and it’s dry for a few days.”
ODOT estimated the U.S 20 project cost at about $4.1 million. At Pacific and Airport, the estimate was $2.1 million, and the agency said $1.3 million had been spent to date.
Both locations were picked for changes because of crashes over the years. ODOT hopes the new signals and other alterations will cut down on the number of wrecks.
Even as Albany’s traffic volume increases, this might work if we concentrate on what we’re doing and stick to the rules we were supposed to learn when first we got a license to drive. (hh)
“…concentrate on what we’re doing and stick to the rules we were supposed to learn when first we got a license to drive.”
We’ve all seen it – anger, eating, texting, talking on the phone, grooming, under the influence, age related delayed responses.
As vehicle & road technology has gotten better and should make us safer, our minds simply have not kept pace.
Good driving requires self-discipline and skill. Neither of which is in sufficient quantity today.
Thanks – I could not have said that better!
Supply chain problems continue to bedevil almost anything being done whether government or private sector. For that, you can mostly thank Emperor Xi of China.
(Yeah, I use “Emperor Xi” instead of “Chairman Xi” since I think that better represents where China is going.)
The improvement’s will get done.
I still don’t understand why the people planning this work. Why tear things up 6 months or more before you have the supplies needed to complete the task? Supply chain issues or not, just wait until you can work the job through to completion. I guess “common sense” doesn’t apply anymore.
I agree with this. We are all instructed as drivers to slow down and pay more attention when driving through construction due to a higher risk of accidents. So why start construction just to put it on hold because you don’t have the supplies to complete the task, and prolong a high risk driving environment?
I agree with what Mark said. We are all instructed to slow down and be extra cautious when driving through construction due to a higher risk of accidents. So why start construction just to prolong a high-risk situation because we didn’t have the supplies needed to complete the task?