07/26/1989 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e provide funding for the remainder of the project to match local funding that has been pledged by Eugene and Lane County. Mr. Reinhard said the Harlow Road Overpass at 1-5 is also an important project for safety reasons. He said the minimum improvements required at this location are the addition of safe facilities for bicycles and pedestrians. Mr. Reinhard said a design study will be performed to determine if the overpass and approaches should also be widened to provide more vehicular capacity. Mr. Reinhard said staff believes improvements to Beltline Road are also very important. To alleviate congestion and provide for future traffic increases, ODOT has developed a preliminary design concept calling for major improvements to the Delta-Beltline interchange and widening of Beltline Road from Delta Highway to River Road (including the bridge across the Willamette River). The scale and cost of this project make it a likely candidate for phased construction. Mr. Reinhard said the congestion and accidents on Beltline Road at Barger Drive make this location a high priority too. Staff envisions the replacement of the existing intersection with a diamond interchange. Mr. Reinhard noted that several projects have been included on the list that are clearly beyond the scope of the six-year program, both in terms of funding and deciding what solutions should be pursued. He said these projects are included on the list to suggest that ODOT conduct initial planning, design, and environmental studies during the 1991-1996 period so e that improvements can be constructed by 2000. Mr. Holmer asked why the Ferry Street Bridge was not included on the project list. Mr. Reinhard said the Ferry Street Bridge was not mentioned because it is not a State facility, but staff is networking with the State personnel to ensure that they are aware of the interconnections between the Ferry Street Bridge and State highways (1-105 and 1-5). Responding to a question from Mayor Miller, Mr. Reinhard said that because of the Gateway Mall, Harlow Road is expected to experience a 40-50 percent increase in traffic. Staff believes that the existing three lanes can handle this traffic increase, although widening the road to five lanes would provide better traffic flow. He said staff is not proposing that Harlow Road be widened to five lanes at this time. Mr. Reinhard said staff believes that Harlow Road can accommodate the increased traffic volumes with improvements to the intersections at Coburg Road and Garden Way and improvements to the 1-5 overpass. Mr. Bennett stressed the importance of adding safe facilities for bicycles and pedestrians on the Harlow Road Overpass. He said the existing situation is very dangerous and desperately needs improvement. Mr. Bennett said he does not favor widening Harlow Road to five lanes, however. He said Harlow Road should not be the major link between parts of Eugene and the Gateway Ma 11. Mr. Bennett said this would ruin the surrounding neighborhood. Mr. Rei nhard noted that keep; ng the Harlow Road Overpass narrow and c~r\'ge~~.e,~ e will not necessarily discourage people from traveling that route. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 26, 1989 P"-ge4 \ r '-