Freeway drivers in Albany and elsewhere on the Oregon interstates will be interested in the state’s proposal to raise the speed limit for trucks. If it goes through, this should ease the congestion caused by slow trucks overtaking each other at leisurely speeds.
State highway officials want a new analysis of how the planned Love’s truck stop would affect the south Jefferson interchange on I-5. Either that, or they want Love’s to construct road improvements now or agree to share in the costs of future signals at the I-5 ramps.
The proposed Love’s truck stop in Millersburg may not be a done deal just yet as the city planning commission’s approval of the project has been appealed.
This, in case you can’t tell, is the intersection of Ellsworth Street and Sixth Avenue in Albany. It’s also the scene of what is shaping up as a big waste of public money.
Stuck once again in slow-moving traffic on Albany’s main drag, I’m wondering if this is ever going to get any better. The answer is no, it won’t. Not in the foreseeable future anyway. Instead, we’re bound to get delayed more often just like drivers in far bigger towns.
If you saw crews like this and thought they were beginning to work on ODOT projects to upgrade Highway 20 through downtown Albany, sorry to disappoint you.
Tricky signal tests patience on Pacific
What’s the deal with the Hill Street traffic signal on Pacific Boulevard? Sometimes this signal on one of Albany’s busiest streets seems to delight in teasing drivers by giving them a green light for only a few seconds at a time. And when traffic is heavy, it may take three or more phases to get through.
Tags: Highway 20, Hill Street signal, ODOT, Pacific Boulevad signal