Review the stations below to learn more about these projects and share your thoughts on how to make Beltline Highway better.
Stations
Project overview
Located in the north Eugene area, the Beltline Highway carries the majority of traffic crossing the Willamette River, connects western Lane County to Interstate 5, and is one of the most congested places in the Eugene/Springfield area. Traffic moving onto and off of Beltline Highway between River Road and Coburg Road is slow and congested during busy travel times.
The 2014 Beltline Highway Facility Plan recommends several projects to improve safety and travel times in the area, including a reconfiguration of the Delta Highway/Beltline Highway interchange and corridor improvements between Delta Highway and River Road. ODOT will begin construction on the Delta Highway/Beltline Highway interchange in early 2019, and work is underway to lay the groundwork for construction improvements between Delta Highway and River Road.
Please advance to the next station to learn about the Delta Highway/Beltline Highway Interchange Project.
Why is this project needed?
The Delta Highway/Beltline Highway interchange was built in the 1960s when far fewer people traveled in this area. Operational and safety improvements are needed to address increasing congestion, backups, crashes, and driver frustration on both Beltline and Delta Highways. The three loop ramps create merging conflicts, particularly for drivers traveling on northbound Delta Highway between the off-ramp from eastbound Beltline Highway and the on-ramp to westbound Beltline Highway.
Ramps to be removed or reconfigured
The project will remove some existing ramps and replace them with new ramps, changing the way drivers travel through this interchange.
- Loop ramp from eastbound Beltline to northbound Delta (removed).
- Off-ramp from eastbound Beltline to southbound Delta (reconfigured).
- Loop ramp from northbound Delta to westbound Beltline (reconstructed).
- On-ramp from Goodpasture Island Road to northbound Delta (reconfigured).
Expected traffic impacts, travel time improvements, and safety benefits
- Eastbound drivers exiting Beltline to northbound Delta will pass through a new traffic signal. This will slow traffic, but reduce conflicts (on Beltline) making the interchange safer for everyone. Eastbound drivers exiting Beltline to southbound Delta will not have to stop at the signal, but the ramp will be reconfigured to slow traffic. This will improve safety for everyone using Delta.
- The exit ramp from Beltline to Delta (northbound and southbound) will be extended to the west (to the bridge over the Willamette River). This will allow traffic to exit Beltline sooner, freeing the through lanes for eastbound traffic.
- Northbound Delta traffic exiting onto westbound Beltline (on the loop ramp) will be separated from northbound traffic continuing on to the Delta Oaks area. Traffic going to westbound Beltline will not pass through the new signal. This traffic will use a new, separate overpass.
- The loop ramp for westbound traffic will be reconstructed to provide two lanes for cars to queue as they wait to merge onto Beltline. The new overpass and roadway alignment (separated from the new intersection) also provides additional space for cars to queue, without interfering with through northbound traffic.
- A new ramp meter will be installed at the end of the loop ramp, at the merge with westbound Beltline. There is already a ramp meter at the other westbound on-ramp. The ramp meter will create space between cars and trucks entering the highway, allowing traffic on Beltline to flow more smoothly.
Please advance to the next station to learn about improvements to Beltline Highway between Delta Highway and River Road.
Why is this project needed?
Beltline Highway between Delta Highway and River Road is one of the most congested places in the Eugene/Springfield area. Within the project area, Beltline Highway has four through travel lanes carrying between 55,000 and 90,000 cars and trucks each day. The roadway was not designed to carry this volume of traffic, resulting in congestion, especially at peak periods. This congestion along with short merge and diverge areas contributes to a higher frequency of crashes than other similar facilities in the state. As north and west Eugene and surrounding areas continue to develop, traffic congestion is expected to worsen.
Improvement concepts
The 2014 Beltline Highway Facility Plan recommends several projects to improve safety and to reduce delays on Beltline Highway, including constructing an auxiliary lane in each direction on Beltline Highway from River Road to Delta Highway to better accommodate merging and weaving. The project also includes improvements to the River Avenue/Division Avenue and River Road interchanges, and adding a new local bridge over the Willamette River north of the highway. Work is ongoing to lay the groundwork for these improvements to be ready for construction when funding is available. Please review the proposed improvements to Beltline Highway from Delta Highway to River Road in the gallery below.
Please advance to the next station to provide your feedback on improvement concepts on Beltline Highway.
To provide your feedback:
- Click on one of the four improvement areas in the list to the right. Each of these improvement areas relates to a major design component, such as the new local bridge across the Willamette River, just north of Beltline Highway.
- Click on the blue comment button to leave your written feedback.
- Click “submit” to send us your comments.
- After submitting your comments, click on the back button to review more improvement concepts.
When finished providing feedback, please advance to the next station to learn about next steps for Beltline Highway: Delta Highway to River Road improvement concepts.
Moving forward, ODOT will continue working with community stakeholders to refine project elements for Beltline Highway between Delta Highway and River Road. The agency will also take the following actions:
- Conduct an initial assessment of environmental resources
- Refine and update traffic and safety information from the
- Select projects that best meet identified needs
- Conduct required environmental work and seek funding to construct improvements
Please advance to the final station to share any final thoughts, and to learn about how to stay involved in the project.
