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Someday the Interstate 5 interchange at Del Rio Road may be one of the most important in Douglas County for its proximity to the North Umpqua River, the rail line, developable land, the college and highway frontage.
The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the high value of this interchange and wants to see the ideal intersection alignment built to capitalize on this potential.
We'd like to see that as well, particularly as this intersection may one day need the capacity to support vehicles traveling to a Costco on Northeast Stephens Street or to a new a high school for the Roseburg School District. There's also potential for new industrial and commercial operations.
Funding the ideal intersection is the problem. Paul Mather, Region 3 manager of The Oregon Department of Transportation, estimates it will cost $70 million to construct the intersection alignment favored by the Roseburg chamber.
ODOT has $28 million from the Oregon Transportation Investment Act to put into the project. It landed a $15 million federal earmark and entered into an agreement with Douglas County for another $7 million. That leaves the agency $20 million short of the chamber's preferred plan, and Mather says there doesn't appear to be any other funding available for this particular project.
And time is running out. The state funds must be spent by 2012 and the two-year project must go to bid in six months.
The funding shortfall became apparent to ODOT nearly two years ago, so planners made revisions to the project to match the $50 million available. The News-Review reported on the new design at that time, but it appears some landowners in the area and the chamber have still been holding out hope for the original design.
The chamber is concerned that the new design, which still connects Del Rio Road and College Road but retains a more southerly route for Del Rio Road, doesn't provide the same advantages for economic development as the northern alignment.
ODOT officials feared chamber members were so unhappy with the proposed project that they wouldn't muster community support. Without the community's backing, ODOT figures the Roseburg project could be eliminated because the state is over budget on its bridge program and is looking to cut a project with the exact same price tag — $50 million.
In a press conference last week, the chamber appeared to ease those concerns. While it still prefers the northern alignment, the chamber will not oppose the southern alternative if additional funds aren't available and certain conditions are met.
The chamber made the right decision. If the southern alignment gets the nod, it will bring a $50 million investment to Douglas County. That makes it the most expensive Interstate project in Douglas County since I-5 was built.
The project will certainly bring jobs, increase the capacity of the intersection and encourage development at the location.
ODOT officials point out it provides a structural backbone and improvements that would otherwise have to be paid for by developers, Costco, the school district or anyone else who would need increased capacity, turn lanes, signals or access in the area. That's a huge advantage.
We look forward to seeing this project move forward. Douglas County can't afford to turn its back on a $50 million project, nor can it afford to wait for an indefinite period of time for more funding to become available to repair the I-5 bridge and revamp the intersection.
The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the high value of this interchange and wants to see the ideal intersection alignment built to capitalize on this potential.
We'd like to see that as well, particularly as this intersection may one day need the capacity to support vehicles traveling to a Costco on Northeast Stephens Street or to a new a high school for the Roseburg School District. There's also potential for new industrial and commercial operations.
Funding the ideal intersection is the problem. Paul Mather, Region 3 manager of The Oregon Department of Transportation, estimates it will cost $70 million to construct the intersection alignment favored by the Roseburg chamber.
ODOT has $28 million from the Oregon Transportation Investment Act to put into the project. It landed a $15 million federal earmark and entered into an agreement with Douglas County for another $7 million. That leaves the agency $20 million short of the chamber's preferred plan, and Mather says there doesn't appear to be any other funding available for this particular project.
And time is running out. The state funds must be spent by 2012 and the two-year project must go to bid in six months.
The funding shortfall became apparent to ODOT nearly two years ago, so planners made revisions to the project to match the $50 million available. The News-Review reported on the new design at that time, but it appears some landowners in the area and the chamber have still been holding out hope for the original design.
The chamber is concerned that the new design, which still connects Del Rio Road and College Road but retains a more southerly route for Del Rio Road, doesn't provide the same advantages for economic development as the northern alignment.
ODOT officials feared chamber members were so unhappy with the proposed project that they wouldn't muster community support. Without the community's backing, ODOT figures the Roseburg project could be eliminated because the state is over budget on its bridge program and is looking to cut a project with the exact same price tag — $50 million.
In a press conference last week, the chamber appeared to ease those concerns. While it still prefers the northern alignment, the chamber will not oppose the southern alternative if additional funds aren't available and certain conditions are met.
The chamber made the right decision. If the southern alignment gets the nod, it will bring a $50 million investment to Douglas County. That makes it the most expensive Interstate project in Douglas County since I-5 was built.
The project will certainly bring jobs, increase the capacity of the intersection and encourage development at the location.
ODOT officials point out it provides a structural backbone and improvements that would otherwise have to be paid for by developers, Costco, the school district or anyone else who would need increased capacity, turn lanes, signals or access in the area. That's a huge advantage.
We look forward to seeing this project move forward. Douglas County can't afford to turn its back on a $50 million project, nor can it afford to wait for an indefinite period of time for more funding to become available to repair the I-5 bridge and revamp the intersection.
