Chemeketa: Highway 15-39th Avenue NE Interchange
Hi everyone-
First off, Happy New Year to all of you! At any rate, I'm back with the first Tarkusian Cities update of 2012, which will involve the construction of a brand new interchange.
Replies to last update are also now up here.
This project will rebuild the overpass of 39th Avenue NE in Chemeketa over the West Oregon Freeway (Highway 15) into a Single-Point Urban Interchange, and widen and rebuild several intersections along 39th Ave NE, within the Interchange Area Management Plan (IAMP) zone:
The Halpert District in Northeast Chemeketa is an especially fast-growing part of the city, home to an increasing number of high-tech companies, and is also seeing considerable residential growth to the west. In order to help better facilitate freight movement in this veritable crossroads of commerce, not only locally, but intrastate and interstate, ORDOT has decided to build a new interchange at the city's request along Highway 15, the main north-south freeway that runs through Olympus, Willamette and Siskiyou states.
Currently, the main access to the Halpert District from Highway 15 is at the 52nd Avenue NE interchange, with subsidiary access to the north end of the district at the 71st Avenue NE interchange. As there are plans for large-scale high-tech industrial development in the southern reaches of the district, ORDOT has decided to site the interchange at 39th Avenue, which already has an existing overpass, and is adequately spaced from the 16th Avenue NE and 52nd Avenue interchanges NE. The necessity of this interchange is further heightened by recent residential growth in the southwestern reaches of the IAMP.
This is the existing 39th Avenue NE overpass, looking north. It dates back to the time when the current freeway alignment of Highway 15 was first constructed, and only carries two travel lanes. It is adequate at present, but is projected to drop below a satisfactory Level of Service (LOS) within the next 5 years, possibly sooner.
This is the existing stretch of 39th Avenue just west of the overpass, looking north. The two intersections seen (from left-to-right) are Mosby Road NE and Aldrin Way NE.
This is the existing intersection of 39th Avenue/Bernard Way and Halpert Road, facing north. As you can see, it has an essentially rural quality to it, a quality which the traffic volumes have outgrown.
Looking north, the overpass has been closed off for construction, and demolition begins. Traffic on 39th between Mosby and Halpert must detour via 52nd Ave or 16th Ave.
Grading begins on the widened 39th Avenue overpass, facing west. 39th Avenue will be widened to 4 travel lanes between Mosby and Halpert, and the re-alignment of the Hudson Road/Bernard Way intersection to the east will extend the 4-lane section farther.
Work on the 39th/Aldrin intersection, just west of Highway 15, looking west.
Work begins on grading the widened eastern portion of 39th, looking west.
A boatload of cranes are in place, and work begins on building the new overpass and interchange, looking north.
The main structure for the SPUI, including ramps from the freeway, is now more or less in place, facing north. Work commences on building the rest of the overpass and connection to 39th Ave.
Ongoing work at 39th and Halpert, facing north. Both roads will be widened to 4 lanes with dual-left turn lanes at the intersection.
The improved intersection at 39th and Aldrin, facing north.
The SPUI is now more or less ready to open, though the segment of 39th to the east, between the interchange and Halpert Road is still closed for widening (facing north).
Paving is ongoing on Halpert and the east segment of 39th (facing north).
Traffic on Halpert has been detoured onto a temporary roadway while the new intersection is constructed (facing north).
The intersection is now open and ready for whatever development may come its way (facing north).
The SPUI open for business and doing its job (facing north).
That does it for this project. Next update, we'll be looking at the Scarlet Street extension, followed by the last "chapter" of the spurt: a big ol' freeway project. Hope you enjoyed this update!
-Tarkus
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