Cynthia Kapple stands near the western entrance to Midway Farms, glad that a portable toilet (blue in far background) has finally been moved from where it had sat in front of the signs.
ODOT’s project to improve traffic safety on Highway 20 at Independence Highway is just about complete. For Midway Farms, the new traffic pattern still presents some concerns.
The safety project added, among other things, an acceleration lane in front of Midway Farms for traffic turning left toward Albany from Independence Highway.
On Friday I spoke with Cynthia Kapple of Midway Farms, which is on the south side of Highway 20 nearly two miles west of the Albany city limit at Scenic Drive. She no longer manages the store because of a disability but remains involved in the farm.
Midway has an event coming up (“Shangria Sunday” on Aug. 6) , and Kapple had been trying to get ODOT to move a portable toilet that was sitting in front of the Midway signs at the western one of two entrances to the site. On Friday somebody moved the potty far away from the signs.
Her main concern now was about drivers leaving the business seeing two lanes in front of them at the western access and turning left. Drivers can no longer do that, but if they do, they’ll face two lanes of traffic coming at them at freeway speeds. And they can’t reach the third, west-bound lane because of a low divider.
Kapple thinks ODOT should install a “no-left-turn” sign at that driveway.. That’s a concern she says the agency has not addressed.
Drivers going to Midway from Albany must use the nearer, eastern driveway, which ODOT has acquired, widened, paved and marked as the official farm entrance.
Drivers coming from the direction of Corvallis can use the western entrance, the first one they come to. They just can’t leave that way.
Drivers in the acceleration lane coming off Independence Highway cannot use the western entrance. Instead they continue on the new middle lane toward Albany, accelerating to merge right, then stomping on the brake because the entrance they want is at the point where the merging lane ends.
Describing it in words makes it sound more complicated than it probably is. It may take a little while to get used to, though, and signage preventing left turns out of the western driveway would help.
I think drivers who learn the system will find it worthwhile, for the Midway Farms store is still an interesting source for fresh local produce and other goods. (hh)
Don’t try to make a left turn from this, the western driveway at Midway Farms.
This is the eastern and amply marked driveway into and out of Midway Farms.
As you say, Hasso, writing about the entrance and exit from Midway Farms comes across as very complicated. It seems to me the farm is going to have to put up a “no left turn” sign themselves and put it on their property…not up close to the highway on property owned by the state, or whatever government entity.
While the owners are at it, they could put up a “no exit here” sign and then an “exit only” sign wherever the exit is. Whew! I barely understand what I have just written!
Remembering the long, drawn-out “process” for Twedt’s near Corvallis year’s ago…
Wow, I can totally see that a No Left Turn sign is needed at that western driveway. Thanks for the reporting.