Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

interchange, a m odified Highway 62/Biddle Road interchange, and other im provem ents necessary to support safe and efficient operation of the interchang es including bicy cle and pedestrian facilities. These other im provem ents would include m odifications to the existing intersections of Highway 62 at Poplar Drive and at the Fred Mey er entrance. It is anticipated that these im provem ents will accom modate anticipated traffic growth in the corridor while m eeting ODOT’ s mobility standards. The interchange area project (referred to as Highway 62 Unit 1 im provem ents) has been included as a Tier 1 project in the Regional Transportation Plan and in the draft 2004-2007 State Transportation Im provem ent Program . Solutions for existing and anticipated future congestion problem s along Highway 62 north of Poplar Drive are not included in the preferred Build altern ative due to financial constraints. However, prelim inary recom mendations have been m ade for a “hybrid” alternative (referred to as the Highway 62 Unit 2 improvem ents) which would create an expressw ay-type facility running north/south parallel to and west of the existing Highway 62 alignm ent. This facility would leave Highway 62 just northeast of the intersection with Poplar Drive and rejoin Highway 62 north of the Medford UGB at approxim ately Corey Road. This project has been included as a Tier 2 (financially -unconstrained) project in the Regional Transportation Plan . I-5 Mainline and Ramp Traffic Operations According to the 2000 I-5 State of the Interstate Report by the Oregon Departm ent of Transportation and recent traffic volum e counts, I-5 through Medford ope rates today without noticeable congestion on the freeway mainline, with average daily traffic volum es (ADT) ranging from 34,000 to 39,000 ADT south of exit 27 (Barnett Road) at the south end of the City to 44,000 ADT on the Medford Viaduct between exit 27 and exit 30 (Highway 62), decreasing to 33,000 ADT north of the I-5/Highway 62 interchange. Trucks account for about 12 to 15 percent of total I-5 traffic. According to ODOT’ s forecasts9 (based on the RVMPO travel dem and m odel’s output) for this por tion of the I-5 m ainline, daily traffic volum es are expected to grow by approxim ately 28 percent sout h of exit 27, by 48 percent on the Medford Viaduct, and by 54 percent north of exit 30. A significant increase in existing levels of congestion along this highway is anticipated over the planning horizon. Existing (2002) peak period congestion on the off-ram ps at both the South Medford/Barnett Road and North Medford/Highway 62 (Biddle Road) interchanges generates backups that affect m ainline traffic flow on I-5 in both directions. Based on current PM peak hour volum es the southbound off-ram p to Barnett Road/Stewart Avenue curre ntly exceeds ODOT’ s volum e-to-capacity standard for an interstate facility (the standard is 0.80 and the actual ratio is >1.0010. According to the DEIS prepared for improvem ent to the Barnett Road interchange, existing problem s at this location include “ unsafe queuing and particularly long queues and shor t-sight distances at the interchange, its off-ramps and surrounding intersections ... These factors combine to create a hazar dous situation, which leads to a high percentage of rear-end accidents at these locations… In addition, off-ramp queues backing up onto the freeway degrade its capacity. ” Based on inform ation from the Environm ental Assessm ent prepared for im provem ents to the I-5/Highway 62 interchange, existing traffic conditions in the vici nity of this interchange are over capacity and are expected to worsen based on projected future (2024) volum es. The over capacity conditions will lead to “increased accident potential and reduced travel tim es throughout the interchange area. In particular, the over capacity conditions at the existing nort hbound I-5 off-ramp connection to Biddle Road cause vehicle queues to extend back (to) the I-5 mainline resulting in excessive speed differentials .”11 9 ODOT, Transportation Planning Analys is Unit website, 2020 Future Volum e Forecasts for State Highways, 2003. 10 ODOT Interoffice Mem o from Kent Belleque to Frank Stevens, entitled “Barnett Road Interchange Northbound Entrance R amp, dated Oct ober 30, 2001. 11 ODOT Regi on 3, Hi ghway 62 websi te, “Envi ronm ental Assessm ent Execut ive Sum mary”, 2003. Medford Transportation Syst em Plan 5-14 Street Plan