Oregon.gov

Welcome to the OR 22: Corridor Safety Improvements Project Online Open House

This project is intended to improve safety on OR 22 and prepare for an eventual interchange at the intersection of OR 22 and OR 51.

This open house is closed to new comments, but you can submit comments at any time through the project website at or22safety.org.

Video: Welcome; 40 sec

This interactive tool will help you...

  • Learn about the project background the preferred project solution, and
  • Provide comments and concerns to the project team.

You may go directly to a station below, or click the "Get Started" button at the top of the screen to move through the stations in order.

Stations

Learn about OR 22 and the need for this project.
Learn about the preferred alternative and the other possible options that were considered.
Learn about next steps and ways to get involved in the project.

Background

Learn about OR 22 and the need for this project.

Oregon 22 is a high-speed, high-volume, expressway, freight route, and highway of statewide importance. It is used by a large number of recreational travelers and serves industrial manufacturers and commercial outlets located throughout Oregon.

The highway also serves local businesses and residents, and is frequently used by local farmers for moving equipment and transporting crops to market. It is a major commuting route, used by residents in outlying communities to reach their jobs in Salem.

The section of OR 22 outside of Salem has experienced significant safety problems in the past. Most crashes have involved vehicles turning onto or leaving the highway, and are often attributable to increased traffic on the road, the number of highway access points, and poor visibility. It is expected that safety will become an even bigger issue in the future as traffic volumes and congestion increase on this highway.

This project comes from the OR 22 Expressway Management Plan (pdf, 8.4mb) adopted by Polk County in March 2010. The Plan contained a number of possible projects to improve safety on OR 22 and to prepare for an eventual interchange project at the intersection of OR 22 and OR 51. ODOT has refined and analyzed a number of improvement options for this area identified in the Plan and is now recommending a preferred alternative to move forward.

Options Studied

Learn about the preferred alternative and the other possible options that were considered.

Video: Options studied; 1 min 28 sec

The preferred project alternative (Option 1):

  • Extends 2nd St. to the west from Riggs Street to 50th Ave.
  • Will serve as a backage road for the properties on the north side of OR 22 between Riggs St. and 50th Ave.
  • Allows properties to access OR 22 from 50th Ave. and Riggs St.
  • This alternative is being recommended because it is cost effective and has the greatest immediate usefulness among the options studied.

Several other options were also considered:

  • Doaks Ferry Extension between 50th and 52nd (Option 2)
    If this option was built prior to the Preferred Option it would have relatively little immediate utility, because there would be a gap between Riggs and 50th serving fewer properties. It is the most costly option due to property impacts and adverse topographic and geological conditions.
  • Backage road from 50th St. west ending in a cul-de-sac at Chevron Station (Option 3)
    This option would build a backage road on the south side of OR 22 from 50th Avenue west ending in a cul-de-sac at the Chevron Station. For this project to have immediate usefulness, all properties within the project limits would have their access to OR 22 closed. This would be a hardship to some businesses and put others out of business. Due to these impacts, this option is not feasible until the OR 51/OR 22 interchange is funded and constructed.
  • Backage road connection from the west end of Option 3 to OR 51 (Option 4) This option would build a backage road connection from the west end of Option 3 to OR 51. This option can only be feasible if designed and built in conjunction with a future interchange. Despite being cost/funding neutral, it is the least feasible of all the options.

Next Steps / Get Involved

Learn about next steps and ways to get involved in the project.

This open house is closed to new comments, but you can submit comments at any time through the project website at or22safety.org.

Video: Thank you; 37 sec

Project Schedule

Next Steps

Detailed design work will begin in early 2016. This work will involve intensive survey, geotechnical exploration for the potential need of retaining walls, and computer design of the desired road layout. Once completed, we will have information on impacts to specific properties.

Neighborhood Focus Group

There is no known neighborhood association to represent the residents of SW Salem north of OR 22, so ODOT is looking to create a Neighborhood Focus Group to provide input on the preferred option design. The focus group will be made up of project area residents and businesses as the project proceeds through the development phase. If you are interested in learning more about serving on this group, please let us know below.

Comments

How did you hear about this online open house? (Check all that apply.)
Are you interested in serving on the neighborhood focus group? (If yes, please provide your contact information below. (Check all that apply.)

Mailing list (Optional)

Provide the following optional contact information if you would like to be added to the project mailing list.

Demographic Information (Optional)

This project is requesting demographic information to evaluate the effectiveness of public outreach activities. The identity of individuals is kept confidential. The results are reported as totals only, and used solely to help improve future community engagement. Providing this information is voluntary and optional.

Gender (Check one.)
Languages spoken at home (Check all that apply.)
Your Race/Ethnicity (Check all that apply.)
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About this site

This web site was developed by JLA Public Involvement and is not hosted by the Oregon Department of Transportation, though we adhere to the same accessibility guidelines. If you have any problems with the information on this page, please contact technical support, (503) 235-5881 for assistance.