2007 Lane County Federal Priorities

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Fec~era~Priorities 2007 Transportation McKenzie Highway-Bob. Straub Parkway Intersection Planning Request The City of Springfield seeks $2 million to fund required environmental documentation under - NEPA in order to reach a preferred intersection/interchange solution at the intersection of Oregon Highway 126 (Springfield's Main Street) and Bob Straub Parkway. This is an important regional location already suffering peak-hour congestion, and funds are needed for preliminary design and right-of-way acquisition to develop the improvement project. Background Springfield's Jasper-Natron area is poised for transition from its rural and heavy industrial past to a mixed-use community with housing, business park and industrial flex-space, and locally supported retail and services. Jasper-Natron is one of the last large undeveloped sections of the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. Consequently, it represents an opportunity for development of a significant planned residential and employment center in the next 15 to 20 years. Lane County is currently constructing the Bob Straub Parkway between the Oregon Highway 126/Main Street intersection on the north and Jasper Road (Springfield-Creswell Highway) to the south. The Parkway-named for an Oregon governor from Springfield-forms the southern fourth leg of the OR126/Main Street intersection. Phase I of the Parkway, which extends from Main Street to South 57th Street, has been constructed, and Lane County plans to complete the Parkway south to Jasper Road in 2007. The completed Parkway will provide access and infrastructure to approximately 800 acres of needed developable land inside the Springfield urban growth boundary. Traffic currently places a heavy demand on the OR126/Main Street intersection, with morning and afternoon. peaks creating significant congestion and safety problems. As the Parkway is completed and Jasper-Natron begins to urbanize, the congestion and safety constraints are projected to become significantly worse at the OR126/Main Street/Parkway intersection. There is a current and significant future need to make capacity and safety improvements at this important regional connection. Current Status The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the City of Springfield, and Lane County have been working on an Expressway Management Plan for OR126 in Springfield. The Expressway Management Plan is a tool that sets out strategies to manage the facility, including the future improvements necessary to maintain safety and mobility. ODOT is currently developing the scope of work for Phase 3 of the Management Plan process. Phase 3 will produce a planning level alternative for the OR126/Main Street/Bob Straub Parkway intersection that will be incorporated into local and federal transportation plans. The final products from Phase 3 are expected in early 2008. This request will fund the next step in the process, the NEPA documentation phase and preliminary design of project development. 8