Western Oregon Journal

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Western students use it everyday on their trips to and from Salem, perhaps without realizing its danger.

For years, the Highway 99W and OR 22 intersection at Rickreall (six miles from Monmouth) has been considered one of the most dangerous highway intersections in the state, "experiencing a high number of accidents typically associated with traffic signals and high-speed turning movements," the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said.

In the year 2000, OR 22 had a 2.5 times greater death rate than the national highway average, according to the Polk County website.

OR 22, which runs west from Salem to the Oregon Coast, is the primary route connecting Salem-Keizer and the mid-Willamette valley to the Oregon Coast, including Lincoln City and Tillamook.

Highway 99W, which runs south from McMinnville to the Eugene/Junction City area, is the main road through Monmouth, Corvallis and several rural towns.

The alarming safety issue of the Rickreall intersection has spurred a long-term construction project to get under way.

Construction, which began in June, will continue until November 2006, said Ray Bryant, assistant project manager.

A main part of the project is creating an overpass of Highway 99W over OR 22, Bryant said, which began construction last week.

"It [the overpass] will make it safer and should speed up the traffic flow," he said, by separating the two highway's traffic movements.

"The main reason is safety," Bryant said. "There's a bad accident history out there."

According to ODOT, current traffic volumes exceed Oregon Highway Plan mobility standards, and traffic volume growth is only expected to increase in time, creating future problems.

The current construction project will also include work to OR 223, which runs northeast from the Dallas area until merging onto OR 22.

ODOT plans on constructing an interchange at the OR 22/OR 223 intersection as well.

Thus far, traffic flow has been working out well, Bryant said. "Not many impacts to the public" have occurred he said, except some "minor flagging and short delays."

When complete, there will no longer be a signal at the OR 22/Highway 99W intersection and all OR 22 east-bound traffic will go over OR 223 traffic, providing an exit to Highway 99W.

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