Tarkusian Cities (Update 107-08/23/2020-West Chemeketa Reconfig, Part 1)

[simcity4ever]

Nice new update!

However, I need to ask a question. Why aren't you using the new V5-Spec Textures?

[citybuilderx]

Great update as usual Tarkus. I'm looking forward to see your long term plans for the region and the mosaicfest!

[Ramona Brie]

Nice new update!

However, I need to ask a question. Why aren't you using the new V5-Spec Textures?

He wasn't at the time these projects were done, but after this chunk of project, he did switch to V5-Spec.

[bakerton]

Alex, What a nice construction follow thru. I bet all of Chemeketa's residents are very happy that their tax dollars are being spent in a such a good way. Now, was the power rerouted during the powerstation's move and did it put a strain on the powergrid?
Anyway, I look forward to more and your mosaicfest. JKB

[samerton]

Great and very inspiring! 

[woodb3kmaster]

Another great update, Alex! You do such a great job presenting your projects, it feels like I'm reading a real DOT's description of a project. The construction, as usual, is superb, and an example of the style that I aspire to emulate over in Nyhaven (whenever I get around to making more construction updates... ). I look forward to the upcoming mosaicfest!

Hoping you're doing well on your dissertation,
Zack

[Nego]

Another great update as usual! The parkway is coning along quite nicely. I like your use of FAMIS and I'm excited to see the finished product. Can't wait!

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

Well, I'm back with another update.  We'll be finishing up Phase 1 of the Chemeketa Parkway, and the long-awaited mosaic fest will be here next update.

But first, replies:

Raymie (Tracker): Thanks for the kind words!  Yes, the interchange will essentially be a trumpet with an intersection on one side.  And to answer your question on the overpasses, yes, they'll be getting redone, as you'll see in the mosaic-fest.  (And thanks for answering simcity4ever's question! )

Noah (noahclem): Thanks, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the update!   Regarding the space between the parkway and the river, that's a good question.  I like your idea, and coincidentally, I was actually considering putting some sort of pedestrian/bike trail there . . . it seems like a logical spot for one.

simcity4ever: Thanks, and as Tracker mentioned, most of the images were captured during a time when I didn't have the V5-Spec textures installed.  This update will be one of the very last to feature the existing V4.0/4.1 textures, and the mosaic-fest will show off V5-Spec in action.

citybuilderx: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and we're almost to the reveal of the mosaic-fest and long-term plans.  I'm looking forward to it as well.

Jon (bakerton): Thanks for the compliments on the construction!  The residents seem to be liking the new changes on the 52nd Avenue side of things, and hopefully, they'll be pleased with ORDOT's work on the parkway.  Fortunately, there were quite a few other power stations and substations up and running during the substation move, so there was minimal disruption to CPUD's service.

Sam (samerton): Thanks, I'm always very happy to hear that these updates are providing inspiration.

Zack (woodb3kmaster): Thanks for the very kind words--it means a lot coming from a fellow road enthusiast.   I'm glad you enjoyed the construction and I'll have to stop by Nyhaven to see what you've got going on there.   As far as my dissertation goes, I'm not quite there yet . . . the preliminary requirements are a doozy, but things are looking like I can get done with those this next term (which starts Monday for me).  Provided, of course, I can successfully round up 15-20 people to perform an hour worth of my rather thorny compositions, and then pass a brutal comprehensive exam.    

Nego: Thanks for the compliments on the parkway and the FAMIS usage!  I hope you find the finished product to your liking.





PROJECT AREA:


ORDOT is still hard at work on Phase 1 of the Chemeketa Parkway project, which will upgrade a short stretch of Highway 219 in Chemeketa to 4-lane expressway standards.  We left off last time with work still underway on converting the dangerous intersection at 39th Avenue Northeast to a full interchange.

Here's looking west at the current state of the interchange, with 39th closed off for the time being to allow for completion of the overpass.



Because the 33rd Avenue intersection is being converted to a RIRO (right-in, right-out) setup, a connector roadway is being constructed between 39th and 33rd just east of the interchange, which will have a signalized intersection with 39th. (facing west)



Here's a broader view of the connector being constructed. (facing west).  One technical challenge will be the need for a bridge over Sorenson Creek.



Here's a broader view near the intersection of 39th and Progress (facing west).  The remainder of the 2-lane section of 39th will be widened to 4 travel lanes with a center turn lane as part of the project.



Highway 219 also passes over Sorenson Creek, and to make way for the widening, a larger culvert is being built (facing west).



Construction is underway at 33rd and Highway 219, which is currently bearing a heavier brunt with the closure of 39th (facing west).  As previously mentioned, it'll be converted to a RIRO setup once widening is completed on 219.



A lone bulldozer is prepping for the widening on 39th (facing west).



Widening in full swing (facing west).





Widening is now complete up to the section before the overpass (facing west).  The intersection with the new connector road is getting in place as well, with the signal installed and being tested before opening everything to traffic.



39th has now been connected up with the overpass (facing west), and the connector road has partially been paved.



A little more in place (facing west).  You can also see progress on the interchange--the ramps from northbound 219 onto 39th aren't yet in place.



Work on bridging the connector over Sorenson Creek (facing west).



This is where the connector meets 33rd Avenue (facing west).  It's been paved on this side, and as you can see, there's a dump truck heading to the bridge site to finish up the project.



New northbound lanes getting in place on 219 (facing west).  Traffic is still on the existing alignment, which will become the southbound lanes.



Since the connector road is now in place, ORDOT crews have now been able to close off the 33rd Avenue intersection with Highway 219 (facing west).  The new northbound lanes are being paved.



Northbound lanes now striped, with the RIRO connection at 33rd in place (facing west).



The northbound offramp from 219 onto 39th is now in place, and the existing alignment has been switched over to its new purpose as southbound lanes (facing west).  As you can see, ORDOT has also constructed auxiliary lanes for traffic merging onto 219 southbound from 39th westbound.



The RIRO at 33rd is now open, effectively marking the completion of the project (facing west).



Next update, we'll be looking at the final results of the Northern Crossing Project and Chemeketa Parkway Phase 1 with the long-awaited mosaic-fest.  Hope you enjoyed this update!

-Alex

[jdenm8]

Hm... That last one is a little dangerous... Traffic has to speed up to and down from Motorway Speeds in the flow of traffic... Even here, we do at least get 20m of slowdown lane before the exit and at least 50m of merging.

But, it doesn't make any real sense to have another intersection that close either... Most RL DoTs would have closed it permanently and make it a suburban street.

Ouch on the workload though... I've just got eight assignments due within the next 8 weeks... and that's just for four Bachelor's Degree subjects (in IT) 

[samerton]

Great! This must be one of the best transportation MD's there are.

[Ramona Brie]

Since there's no name for the connector, I've got some ideas...

How about Creekview Road or perhaps something more exotic. Forest Bobcat? Indian Creek? I don't know...

...But hey, it looks nice!

[metarvo]

Construction in Chemeketa still seems to be rolling along nicely.  The traffic's certainly there to justify it, so it's about time.  Keep the good work going! 

[noahclem]

Great to see the project progressing, the new interchange looks great! Again I'm looking forward to the completion and mosaic fest!

I also hope your dissertation is going well and wish you the best of luck!

[Nego]

Another great update, Tarkus. The parkway came out looking really nice! Will you be doing some beautification? Also, nice use of the smooth curves. I can't wait for the next update, especially since it's mosaic-fest.

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

We'll, it's the moment many of you have been waiting for here in Tarkusian Cities.  Mosaicfest is upon us, as well as the Chemeketa Metro Area Regional Transport Plan and a giant map covering 30 large city tiles (5 wide x 6 high).  With RL going full swing after this weekend (and not really letting up much until late May at the earliest), it may be quite awhile before Update 74 comes down the road.

First off, replies:

jdenm8: Thanks for the thoughtful comments on the 33rd Avenue situation--I always enjoy constructive feedback!   ORDOT had actually considered closing off 33rd there at the highway, but decided to go with the RIRO, at least for the time being. 

Most of the traffic using that connection is turning off the highway onto 33rd, and with the speed limit only being 50mph (~81km/h) on 219 and given that traffic is just coming off a signal at 28th Avenue, ORDOT figured it wasn't going to cause too much of an issue.  Long term, I think converting it to a one-way MIS ramp off 219 onto 33rd might be the best approach rather than maintaining a full RIRO, especially as ORDOT is studying a speed limit increase.  It sounds like it might be a good subject for a future update, in fact. 

And best of luck with those eight assignments!

Sam (samerton): Thank you for the very kind words--given how many great transportationally-oriented MDs/CJs there are out there, I really take that as a compliment.

Raymie (Tracker): Thanks--I'm glad to hear it came out nice!  And I like your suggestions for the connector--as you'll see on the map this update, it's now designated as Bobcat Way NE.

metarvo: Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, and I agree, it is about time!  The motorists seem to be happy with the improvements so far, too.

Noah (noahclem): Thanks for the compliments on the interchange, and I hope the mosaicfest has been worth the wait!  Thanks for the best wishes on the whole degree side of things--going to need it this next month-and-a-half especially.

Nego: Thank you for the kind words on the update--I'm glad to hear the parkway came out nice!  The parkway has some natural beauty along it that hasn't really been touched (the riverbank has largely been left alone with its groves of oaks) but some additional enhancement couldn't hurt, I don't think.  I'm definitely considering Noah's suggestion last update of having some sort of trail along it for pedestrian/bike use, and I think some cottonwoods wouldn't hurt.   Thanks for the suggestion!  Hope you enjoy the mosaicfest!



Now it's mosaicfest.  I've prepared two mosaics, one from each side of the river. Both of these were taken fullscreen in the native screen width resolution on my laptop (1366x768), which exceeds the width of what one would want to post on the forums, so I've posted thumbnails that link to the full-size versions.

Here's the first--this is facing north, and will gives an overview of the Highway 221/Greenwich Avenue interchange and improvements, along with a look at some of the residential areas to the south along Greenwich.  (To help with following along with the map, the FAR intersection about halfway down is Greenwich and 43rd Ave NW).



And here is the second--facing north along the Chemeketa Parkway between 52nd Avenue and 33rd Avenue, with a little bit of a look at the improvements on 39th, the new connector road and some of the surrounding development.  You'll notice ORDOT has made a few additional improvements to the parkway since the last update.  The elevated-to-ground-to-elevated "dip" on Highway 221/52nd between the bridge and the interchange has been eliminated, the overpasses have been fully fleshed out, and in order to minimize weaving, a C/D setup has been constructed along southbound Highway 219 between the 52nd Avenue onramp and the 39th Avenue offramp.



Finally, a map of the entire region and a look at future projects in the Chemeketa Metro Area.  The projects have been marked on the map, matching with the project numbers listed below.  You'll also find the connector roadway from last update is now named, and the 1100th poster, jdenm8, is now honored on the map as well--52nd Avenue NE, east of Schrute Road NE, becomes Flatwood Road NE.

Two options for viewing:

Gmapuploader (using Google Maps API)

Imageshack


1-Rankine-Dallas Corridor - extend Rankine Lane NE south from 52nd Avenue to connect up with Dallas Drive, and improve connectivity to Sorenson Street.

2-McCabe Street NE Extension - extend McCabe Street NE from 23rd Avenue to 33rd Avenue.

3-Wallace Road NW Widening - widen Wallace Road to 5 lanes between Vivien Heights Drive and 43rd Avenue.
4-52nd Avenue NE Widening - add 2 lanes in each direction to 52nd Avenue Northeast between Ashcroft Street and Schrute Road.  Study widening segment from Chemeketa Parkway (Highway 219) to Ashcroft St.

5-Hwy 15/39th Avenue NE Interchange - build an interchange to provide direct access to/from 39th Avenue NE to Highway 15.

6-Chemeketa Parkway Extension - extend the Chemeketa Parkway as a access-controlled freeway with at least 4 lanes from 59th Avenue NE to Highway 15, facilitating better access from Highway 15 and North Chemeketa to the city center.

7-Scarlet Street NE Extension - extend Scarlet Street NE south from 52nd Avenue, connecting it to Sorenson Street.

8-Scarlet-Mosby Connector - build a new roadway connecting the Scarlet Street extension to Mosby Road.

9-Tweedy Boulevard SE Extension - extend Tweedy Boulevard SE from Ashcroft Street to Division Street.

10-Highway 15/Tweedy Boulevard Interchange Study - explore options for improving capacity and access to Chemeketa Regional Airport in conjunction with the Tweedy Blvd extension.

11-Hwy 36/Sorenson Street Interchange - reconfigure the Sorenson Street interchange along Highway 36 to improve capacity and freight mobility.

12-39th/Hudson/Bernard Intersection - realign intersection to better accommodate future industrial development and access to major arterials.

13-Greenwich Avenue NW Study - examine the feasibility of extending Greenwich Avenue NW in North Vivien Heights to meet future capacity demands.

14-15th/16th Avenue Bridge Study - examine the feasibility of building another crossing over the Willamette near the 15th/16th Avenue NE couplet, to better facilitate direct access between the city centers of both Chemeketa and Vivien Heights.

15-99th Avenue NE Widening - widen 99th Avenue between Ashcroft Street to Halpert Road.

16-Bushnell Road/Progress Street NE intersection - realign in conjunction with Chemeketa Parkway Extension (#6).

17-Wallace Road/Murdock Way W intersection - reconfigure intersection to improve capacity.

Hope you enjoyed the mosaicfest and the look at the future projects in Chemeketa.  When Update 74 does arrive, we'll be looking at Project #1 on the list, the Rankine-Dallas Corridor Project.

-Alex

[samerton]

Well.. the mosaicfest has definitely lived up to it's expectations! Amazing!

Very nice suburbs in the second picture!

[Haljackey]

Cool mosaics! Really like the second one.. nice C/D you got there!

Nice use of a Google Maps layout! I gotta learn how to do that.

I think you need some road signs.

That is all.

[Ramona Brie]

Really nice work! This helps me a lot to understand your cities...

One little nitpick on the new avenue overpasses: if you have a large unused paved area in the middle, it should be crosshatched out. In downtown St. Louis, Missouri, there are some streets that are crosshatched with center medians (at ground level; imagine an AVE-4 with a paved center median). Otherwise, it's a far more realistic improvement over what we have now, and I can't wait to see it in the public's hands.

[j-dub]

You meant like this?

(more interesting info at http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
the screwy thing is it seemed there was a USA KPH speed circle sign setup as of 2009, but it seems only documented and not a reality)

Majority of the US does use that crosshatch scheme. I have never been anywhere that does not use the diagonal lines down the center. The only time I saw Alex use that scheme was on a piece very similar in length to the ave4 to ave2 transition. There are however, similar pieces with that scheme being made for the RHW-3, I have not seen it for avenue though. At this point however, Alex may have his hands tied from making such a big revision again.

[RickD]

Great Mosaics. They give a good overview of the new roads.