West Chemeketa Reconfig, Part 2 (Update 108)
Hi everyone-
Tarkusian Cities has returned for 2024, and we'll finally take a look at further progress on the West Chemeketa Reconfiguration project. This particular project is focused on improvements around the Murdock Way N and 5th Avenue N corridor, in preparation for new development in Downtown Chemeketa.
In Update 107:
- 5th Avenue N/NE was converted from two-way to one-way westbound operation, with 4th Avenue N/NE (one block south) being upgraded to serve as the eastbound portion of a new one-way couplet.
- Mission Street N and Oregon Street N were also converted to form a one-way couplet, with Mission Street receiving a realignment between 4th and 5th.
In this update, we'll take a look at the following projects:
- The construction of a new 4-lane roadway, Tern Parkway N, connecting the 4th/5th couplet with present-day Tern Street N, and intersecting Murdock Way N west of Wallace Road N. Tern Parkway will have a grade-separated crossing over Wallace, to provide a bypass for the increasingly busy intersection of Wallace and Murdock.
- Upgrades to the Wallace Road and Murdock Way intersection.
- Realignment of Murdock Way east of Wallace Road, onto a new one-way couplet between 1st Avenue N and 2nd Avenue N, with a short portion of the former Murdock alignment (along the former Murdock Curve) remaining in place to provide additional connectivity between Murdock, Tern Parkway, and the new couplets.
Here's a map of the area. The changes made last update have been incorporated, and the new roadway alignments are shown in dotted lines.
First off, here is an image of the east end of the new 4th/5th couplet, at Progress Street NE (facing west):
This is looking at the (soon-to-be-former) Murdock Curve, the current west end of the 4th/5th couplet. The four-lane roadway to the right is Wallace Road NE. Initial preparations to build the elevated section of Tern Parkway are underway (facing south):
For construction staging and local access, a couple of blocks of the 4th/5th couplet have been reverted to two-way operations, since the northern portion of the Murdock Curve (where 5th turns into Murdock) will need to be demolished to make way for Tern Parkway. The elevated roadway is already partially built, and new development is also going up (facing south).
Just to the west of the previous spot, where Tern Parkway will curve to the south (facing south).
More work in the area of the former north portion of the Murdock Curve (facing south).
The sharp curves are a temporary alignment, designed to restore access and allow a return to one-way operations along the 4th/5th couplet (facing south).
The new Tern Parkway curve . . . or is it . . . the Tern Turn? The connector into the high-rise district along 4th/Plaza has also been constructed. (facing south)
Work begins on the new intersection between Tern Parkway and Murdock Way (facing south).
Murdock Way has been detoured onto a temporary access road to better facilitate construction on the new intersection (facing north).
The new intersection has partially opened, and Tern Parkway can serve as an effective detour while work begins on the intersection of Murdock and Wallace, and the new 1st/2nd couplet (facing north).
The existing state of the intersection of Murdock and Wallace, with the south portion of the Murdock Curve. The signals have been dismantled in preparation for construction. The interchange between Wallace Road and Highway 36 will also be undergoing upgrades in a near future update, to increase capacity and deal with the substandard steep grade up to the elevated portion of Wallace (facing north).
Murdock Way has been shifted back to its original alignment, now freshly modernized (facing north).
The western portion of Murdock has been connected to Wallace Road, with dual left turn lanes being added to the approaches on Murdock, while work commences on the connection to the 1st/2nd couplet to the east. Wallace Road will receive additional lanes when the Highway 36 interchange is reconfigured (facing north).
Tern Parkway in operation (facing south):
Demolition begins in preparation for the 1st/2nd couplet, and planned redevelopment of the area (facing east).
Further work commences on the couplet (facing east), with the old stretch of Murdock (between the portions of the former Murdock Curve) being connected to the new couplet:
The completed couplet (facing east).
That does it for this update of Tarkusian Cities--the first of hopefully many for 2024. Hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for more.
-Tarkus
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20
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