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PHOENIX INTERCHANGE New 'diverging diamond' overpass in Phoenix will take some practice Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 29, 2016 at 5:37 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 5:59 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 29, 2016 at 5:37 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 5:59 PM » Social News Driving through the new, looping Interstate 5 interchange in Phoenix is a dizzying experience for some motorists. “It did give me a weird feeling that I was on the wrong side of the road,” said Steve Besch, 65, of Riverside, Calif., who was shopping at Home Depot. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Some drivers have been startled to find themselves driving on the left side of the road as they head over what is called the "diverging diamond interchange" being built in Phoenix. One woman heading over the overpass Monday yelled out, “This is ridiculous.” Tim Tait, 49, of Ashland, said he’s seen a couple of near misses as motorists get used to the new traffic flows. He said he found it particularly confusing when he got off the freeway traveling south and then turned left onto the overpass. “They’re going to end up with a lot of accidents where it says ‘yield,’” Tait predicted. The novel traffic patterns are especially going to confuse drivers from out of the area, he said. “The whole configuration is different than the rest of the region,” noted Tait, who said he’s missed the turn that takes him to Home Deport. “It’s kind of like a roundabout.” Construction of the $72 million Fern Valley interchange project began in spring 2014. The diverging diamond pattern will be the first of its kind in the state. Completion of the project is expected in September 2016. Crews were scheduled to begin dismantling the old overpass over Interstate 5 Monday night. Gary Leaming, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said his agency has received some complaints about signs and streets leading to the interchange. “Certainly there are people in the early days who are going to be confused,” he said. As the interchange nears completion, Leaming said he expects motorists will find it generally fairly easy to use it. One of the biggest complaints has been about the temporary northbound off-ramp. Leaming said signs have been adjusted to help motorists better locate the off-ramp. In the 20 days since the new overpass opened, Leaming said, no crashes have been reported. “I know there have been some close calls,” he said. Usually the close calls occur when drivers attempt to merge into other lanes, crowding out other vehicles, Leaming said. ODOT settled on the idea of the diverging diamond interchange after getting input from a citizens advisory committee. The interchange requires less land than the south Medford interchange, Leaming said. A similar interchange was built in Missouri, and most motorists there have approved of the idea, he said. Beverly Beck, a 91-year-old Phoenix resident, said she’s still getting used to the new interchange and said she failed to see the temporary Phoenix off-ramp a couple of times while traveling northbound on the freeway from Ashland. “I ended up driving all the way to Medford,” she said. Beck said she probably will get the hang of the overpass soon. “I just have to assume it is an improvement,” she said. Her friend, 86-year-old John Gustafson of Phoenix, said he’s had trouble figuring out which roads to take on the Home Depot side of the freeway. “We got lost,” he said. “I ended up in east Medford.” Gustafson said he’s heard some people complain about driving on the opposite side of the road over the interchange. “It doesn’t bother me at all,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 29, 2016 at 5:37 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 5:59 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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