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

[apeguy]

Nice update. I love the map you've made.

[noahclem]

Great work Alex    As always very thoughtfully planned, from the intersections to the reasons for and timing of development. As always the map is just great--definitely an inspiration!

I have to say I'm happy you've got a bit of a second wind for Chemeketa--I'm quite excited to see what you've got planned next but I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to Chemeketa just yet 

And to reply to your reply, I think those more random, less-easily categorized interchanges are the most fun, in SC4 and RL--character is always a plus 

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

Tarkusian Cities latest "spurt" continues.  First off, I'll do some replies:

Korot: Thanks for the kind words, and to answer your question about the map, unfortunately, I've not found a way to set things up that way using Gmapuploader.  If I knew how, I'd just embed the map into my post.  One of these days, I'll have to study up on the Google Maps API, but there's bigger tasks at hand for me right now (RL and in my little bit of free time, NAM stuff).

Raphael (RickD): Thanks--it's good to be back, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this brief "spurt'!

Alex (apeguy): Thanks for the kind words, and I'm really glad you enjoyed the map.

Noah (noahclem): Thanks, my friend--I really appreciate the compliments and feedback.  I'm glad I got a second wind with Chemeketa as well . . . I realized there was still a lot I wanted to do with it.   And lots of places I can do interesting new things . . . you'll definitely be seeing some more difficult-to-categorize interchanges, including in this update. 



This update will focus on a variety of miscellaneous projects on the north end of Chemeketa and Vivien Heights that are in various stages of completion.  As we saw last time with the Wallace Road widening, the construction moratorium has been lifted in North Vivien Heights, and the land north of Highway 221 (which crosses the Willamette and turns into the very familiar 52nd Ave NE in Chemeketa) was opened to development.  Here's a map again:

http://gmapuploader.com/iframe/xEvZ3cVDhr

Those roads with the dotted lines on the north end of the orangish area (which represents the Vivien Heights City Limits) are roads that will be (or in some cases, already have been built) as part of the developmental plans.

Among the most notable is an extension of Greenwich Ave NW (Project #5--the projects are arbitrarily numbered), which will include the construction of a new bridge and roundabout that will connect it to Highway 219 and 71st Ave NE on the Chemeketa side of the river.

This is on the tail end of construction (facing north).  The bridge is in place (thank you, DBE!) and the roundabout is about ready to be connected.





You may notice the roundabout has a southeast leg that simply leads to a dead end at present.  Eventually, this dead end will be bridged over Highway 215 and connect into the old (pre-Chemeketa Pkwy) segment of Highway 219 and 59th Ave NE, as the area around the roundabout and the 71st Ave interchange will be developed.  There are also plans for a bike/pedestrian trail along the river that will tie into this development.

Next, we'll take a look at Project #3 on the map, along Highway 221 itself.  In order to provide more access to the new development (and not have traffic weaving incessantly from Wallace to Greenwich along 221), a new roadway is being built to connect Wallace Road up with the Greenwich extension just southwest of the bridge.  Additionally, as development is occurring to the west, in the hills, 221 is in need of further expansion itself.  As a result, the interchange at Wallace Road is being reconstructed into a weird diamond that retains the flyover from 221 NB onto Wallace SB.

Construction has begun already in this image (facing east toward Chemeketa).  The southbound lanes on 221 have already been demolished, and some temporary reconfiguration for construction staging is already underway.



Grading begins on the extension (facing east).



Another overpass ramp bites the dust (facing east).  Access to the last bit of 221 into Chemeketa is temporary accommodated by this at-grade ramp . . .



though staging ultimately required that it be shut down immediately.  The mainline has been diverted onto Wallace Road itself, with a rather circuitous alignment so work can continue on the interchange.





Southbound lanes being rebuilt (still facing east).  The section west of the interchange will be widened to 4 lanes for a brief stretch (which will eventually get extended further).



The mainline is mostly back open again (facing east), though access to Wallace is being accommodated by another temporary at-grade intersection. 



The at grade roadway has been turned into an exit ramp now, and things are back to being access controlled (facing east).



The flyover ramp from 221 NB onto Wallace SB has been reconnected (facing east).  Someone on the construction crew didn't get the memo about making the whole thing concrete, however.



This is farther west, in a section of town you haven't seen yet.  This is at the intersection of Highway 221 and Doaks Ferry Road NW (facing west), AKA Project #4.  (Fun fact: the real Salem, OR has an intersection of Highway 221 and Doaks Ferry Road.  It's not too far off the location of this one.)  As there's been a lot of residential development going in on Doaks Ferry, the intersection will be turned into a grade-separated interchange (with a Super-2 for the present). 



This is an S-Curve on the existing alignment of Highway 221 just west of the Doaks Ferry intersection.  (facing west)  It'll be eliminated as part of the interchange construction.  The small substation there will also need to be relocated as part of the project.



The a replacement substation has been built with a new access road (facing west).  The new location will allow the utility district to expand the substation without fear of future (inevitable) expansions of the highway.



Another inconveniently located grocery store is demolished (facing west).  It's right in the way of where the overpass will be located.



Doaks Ferry has now been closed off for construction.  Motorists can still access it from 43rd Ave NW.



New roadway being built for the S-Curve straightening (facing west).



A little peek at the new interchange (facing west).  It's a half-diamond/half-parclo with a roundabout connecting the parclo segment.  These improvements are somewhat temporary . . . more will be done here before much longer.



That does it for this update.  We'll take a closer look at some finished results from this area next time, and then, the big Sorenson Street realignment on the other side of town.

-Alex 

[noahclem]

Excellent work Alex 

I'm a big fan of everything this time around. DBE is awesome and I've always thought those avenue roundabouts looks best when they use diagonal connections. Moving on, the next one is hard to categorize indeed! No flugel horn but born of the same mindset I think. I struggle to remember where I've seen an example of such but I'm pretty sure I've come across something a bit similar in the American Midwest or Pacific Northwest. Providing stopless access between the freeway and one of the instersecting roads is an appealing solution for me as a driver and planner 

I'm also very interested in the bike trails along the river 

Until next time!

[apeguy]

Another update packed full or roadgeekery. Great work as always.


Also, have you ever considered making a tutorial for those awesome-looking maps?

[Shadow Assassin]

Nice to see your sims are inconsiderate litterers too.

Awesome update though, that end of town is taking shape.

Actually, one little thing that bugged me: the Flugelhorn (I assume that's the intersection of 15 and 215 in Marion County)... that eastern approach (from Halpert Rd NE) doesn't seem necessary to me at all since people can just get off for that road at the parclo on 99 Ave NE... is there a particular reason why it's there, basically?

[Wiimeiser]

Actually, one little thing that bugged me: the Flugelhorn (I assume that's the intersection of 15 and 215 in Marion County)... that eastern approach (from Halpert Rd NE) doesn't seem necessary to me at all since people can just get off for that road at the parclo on 99 Ave NE... is there a particular reason why it's there, basically?

I'd personally extend it across to become another road, like for a housing estate

[Haljackey]

Never knew diagonal bridges could look so good. Awesome work Alex! That's a pretty complex interchange reconstruction... the use of that flyover was ingenious!

[Durfsurn]

Awesome update though,
Actually, one little thing that bugged me: the Flugelhorn (I assume that's the intersection of 15 and 215 in Marion County)... that eastern approach (from Halpert Rd NE) doesn't seem necessary to me at all since people can just get off for that road at the parclo on 99 Ave NE... is there a particular reason why it's there, basically?

Yeah is it there to make lazy drivers lives easier? Or to create confusion? Loved the update though.

[Ramona Brie]

Lovely! Sorry for not keeping up.

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

After a nearly 4-month hiatus, Tarkusian Cities is back in the thick of construction season.  I have a few capital improvement projects all around Chemeketa to showcase, which, for the first time in awhile, will entail visiting the south side of town.

But first, some long-awaited replies:

Noah (noahclem): Thanks for the very kind words--I especially take the feedback on the DBE usage as a compliment, given your masterful usage of it in Siilijoki!   There are indeed a few interchanges like that one in the Pacific Northwest . . . I'm not aware of one exactly like it around here, but it has this one in the real Salem and this mess in Eugene in its DNA.  I'm still intrigued by the bike path idea along the parkway . . . just trying to figure out what set I'll use for it.

apeguy: Thanks for the compliments on the update--I'm really glad you enjoyed the roadgeekery there.  I did indeed create a tutorial on my mapmaking techniques a few years back, which can be found in Update 22.

Shadow Assassin: Thanks for the kind words--I'm glad that side of town is to your liking!  Yes, it looks like the cops need to start cracking down on that littering.   That carries a pretty hefty fine around these parts.


Sign located on Interstate 84 Eastbound in Portland

I'd also agree on the current lack of utility on that extra little spur off the flugelhorn, though as there will be some development in that area in the not-too-distant future (industrial, to boot), it'll come in handy then, by providing direct access both to 15 and 215.

Wiimeiser: It probably won't get extended further, but there will be some development in close proximity to it that'll make it seem more useful.

Ryan (Haljackey): Thanks for the kind words on the diagonal bridges and the interchange--I'm really glad you liked the flyover!  Not sure what all I'd classify that interchange as . . . I suppose it's a kind of a split diamond with a C/D and a flyover.

Durfsurn: Glad you enjoyed the update, and so far, it hasn't created too much confusion, fortunately.

Raymie (Tracker): Thanks!  And with the hiatus, it'll make it a little easier to keep track of things here.



First off, a current region map, to reacquaint yourself with Chemeketa.  (Trying out a new color scheme here, too.)

Current region map: [link]

Highway 36/Sorenson Street Project

PROJECT OVERVIEW

ORDOT has identified that the segment of Highway 36 between downtown Chemeketa and the interchange with Highway 15 as a viable candidate for capital improvements.  Among these improvements, one particular project was shortlisted for construction, the interchange with Sorenson Street.

Sorenson Street is a north-south arterial maintained by the City of Chemeketa, which provides access to several major industrial areas, and has long been a source of congestion.  While city public works projects have noticeably improved the road well to the north of the project area, the portions of Sorenson Street in the vicinity of the existing interchange with Highway 36 is a 2-lane roadway with a 30mph speed limit, and has not seen much improvement since it was a semi-rural road on the outskirts of town.

As a result, it suffers significant congestion, and operates at LOS D at most hours, dropping to LOS F at the interchange and immediately south during peak hours.

As part of the project, ORDOT will be modernizing and re-aligning Sorenson Street, widening the roadway to include 4 travel lanes, from just south of the interchange, to 5th Avenue NE.  The City of Chemeketa will be widening and re-aligning Sorenson between 5th and 16th Avenues NE in coordination with the interchange redesign.

The illustration below gives a rough outline of the improvements planned for this project.



PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS

This is where the ramps to and from Highway 36 eastbound intersect Sorenson Street (facing north).



Here is a full overview of the interchange area, with earth moving commencing on the new alignment of Sorenson Street (facing north).



This is an overview of the area surrounding the intersection of Sorenson with 5th Ave NE (facing north).  As evidenced by the outlines of preliminary preparations for construction, a number of structures will need to be demolished to make way for the new roadway.



This is at the north end of the city's improvement project, at the intersection of Sorenson with 16th Ave NE (facing north).  The segment north of 16th has already been widened to 4 lanes, and this project will widen the segment to the south to match.



DURING CONSTRUCTION

Another look, a little farther south, with some preliminary construction preparations underway (facing north).  Sorenson will be realigned slightly toward the west, with more slight curvature.



Demolition of structures near the interchange has commenced (facing north):





Just north of 5th Ave (facing north):



Farther north, near the existing curve (facing north):



This small pocket of residential will not be directly connected into the new alignment Sorenson Street, and will instead be accessed by a segment of the old alignment, which will be retained for local access purposes (facing north).







Closer to 16th Ave (facing north)



A portion of the new alignment has been constructed, and 9th Place NE has been extended to it (facing north).  This extension will provide access to the portion of the old alignment that will be retained for local access, and will minimize disruption during construction staging.



The collector roadway just to the north (Meander Drive NE) will also be realigned, with its intersection with Sorenson being moved roughly 300 feet north (facing north).





This is back at the new 5th and Sorenson intersection (facing north).  You can see the old intersection just to the right.



That does it for this installment of Tarkusian Cities.  Next update, we'll be delving more into the reconstruction of the interchange itself.  Hope you enjoyed it!

-Alex

[noahclem]

Nice work on the realignment    It's very interesting to return to the south side of town (I've only seen this area from the maps) and of course glad to hear it's construction season over there!

Those were quite the interchanges you sent in the links. So idiosyncratic with a nice compactness and greenness that could let them blend in in an urban area like that without too much eyesore/NIMBY effect. Speaking of interesting interchanges roadwork seems to be getting suspiciously close to your 4-way interchange there. You don't happen to be preparing for a P-57-based revamp of the area by any chance, are you? 

As for the bike paths there are plenty of good options. The SFBT high-wealth ones have been my set of choice but the MMP paths from the Rural Renewal Project are nice and allow a bit of extra freedom, SA's paths are a good choice, and I think Paeng's newer park sets are bike friendly and quite attractive. And the easiest way to make any park area look beautiful is to liberally add girafe and VIP tree MMPs (IMHO).

[kj3400]

I had to make a double take at your sig. You, with an update, today? 
The map looks great. I've always loved maps, which is prolly why I incorporate so many in my own updates.
The update and area are impressive as usual. I'm wondering if braided ramps will be used or a c-d system for those interchanges being so close.

[Swordmaster]

Great update, Alex. Glad to have spotted it in time (very busy these days).

Cheers,
Willy

[Tarkus]

Hi everyone-

Construction season is still in full swing, and another new update is upon us.  We'll be taking a look at the completion of the Highway 36/Sorenson Street interchange.

But first, replies:

Noah (noahclem):  Thanks for the kind words on the realignment--that one was a lot of fun to plan out.  While there will be a couple more projects that will spring up on the north end of town in the near future, the south side is in some dire need of some improvements . . . some which will likely end up serving as teasers for NAM 32. 

The big Highway 15/36 interchange won't be getting much done to it for awhile still.  It'll likely see some action when Highway 36 gets further revamped, though.  I have actually converted most of Chemeketa's RHWs over to the first version of P57 specs as a test of the 5.0-to-P57 conversion code (which went relatively smoothly). However, the P57 specs are being revamped to a second, better-planned version (P57-2), which eliminates a few nagging quirks of the original spec, but hasn't yet been deployed. 

And thanks for the great suggestions on the bike path sets--I'll have to check those out.

Kenny (kj3400):  Yes, it's shocking, isn't it?   Thanks for the compliments on the map and the update.  There actually is a C/D setup there already for the eastbound lanes, as shown back in Update 62:



The westbound side of Highway 36 will also be getting C/D lanes as part of the Sorenson Street interchange project.

Willy (Swordmaster): Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to say hello here!

Highway 36/Sorenson Street Project (continued)

Last update, we left off with the northern segment of Sorenson Street being realigned and widened to 4 lanes, between 5th and 16th Avenues NE.  This construction update will focus on the southern part of the project area, including the reconfiguration of the Sorenson Street interchange along Highway 36. 

Due to the high volume of truck traffic coming from the industrial area to the south, and the close proximity of the McCabe Street and Highway 15 interchanges to the Sorenson Street interchange, ORDOT has opted to replace the existing diamond/parclo hybrid with a first-in-the-region diverging diamond interchange (DDI).  The DDI will be connected into collector-distributor roadways to the east.  Proximity matters on the west side of the interchange will be mitigated by the future Highway 36 Chemeketa Center Modernization Project, which is currently planned to move the access points.

The new alignment of Sorenson Street has been built out toward Highway 36, and the existing parclo loop ramp on the north side of the interchange (providing access to and from westbound 36) is being demolished (facing east).





This Exit 57 sign now looks a bit out of place (facing west)



Work on the north side of the new interchange continues.  You can see a sliver of the old Sorenson Street overpass in the bottom-right (facing north).



Facing east, as construction continues.



The old Sorenson Street interchange has now been closed off (facing east). 





Motorists have been detoured to Mosby Road for access to the industrial area in the meanwhile, and access to Highways 15 and 36 is possible via the Hwy 15/Terent Road interchange.  As seen from this image of the intersection of Mosby Road SE and Terent Road SE (facing south), traffic's definitely picked up.



Meanwhile, back at the interchange, there's progress on the construction of the overpass.  Highway 36 traffic has been shifted over some in order to allow for staging (facing south).



The intersection with Stinson Road SE (the road just to the south of Highway 36) has been . . . wait for it . . . realigned to the south (facing east), taking over part of the old alignment of Sorenson.  The western segment is closed for the present, and will be reconnected by the city once the main bulk of the interchange improvements are finished.



Old (top) and new (bottom) (facing east)



And the new overpass and exit on the west side of the interchange are now open. (facing east)



The ramps on the east side are still being constructed, including the C/D setup for the westbound lanes on Highway 36.  The road to the left is Meander Drive NE (which forms a meandering loop--hence the name--off of Sorenson Street).



The entrance to 36 eastbound is being built (facing west).  You can see a little stub of the old southern segment of Sorenson Street (which now connects into Stinson Road).



And here is the mostly completed interchange (facing west), with the C/D lanes constructed for westbound 36.  The old northern segment of Sorenson now curves onto Meander just north of the freeway.  Contractors are continuing to work on minor punchlist items.



Well, that does it for this installment of Tarkusian Cities.  Next update, we'll go just a bit north and east, to take a brief look at the explosion of development brought on by the 39th Ave NE SPUI from Update 81.

-Alex

[sim_link]

Like I mentioned at ST - my car would need to be washed after going through that construction area. I really like the concrete textures on elevated portions. Although we don't have that around here, it looks cool nonetheless.

[kj3400]

I'm wondering if Chemeketa residents are used to seeing construction sites all over the place.
Also, CONCRETE. I'm looking forward to that NAM release.

[art128]

Cool work with the intersection Alex!

[noahclem]

Construction on the realignment is proceeding nicely and the diverging diamond seems like a clever solution for the area's traffic  The wide-radius, FA, and on-slope usage keeps things looking smooth and realistic and the entire project seems nicely thought out. I'd consider wide-radius curves on the western ramps to make it look just a bit smoother still.

Looking forward to more 

[apeguy]

Nice pair of updates, the DDI is pretty good. Looking forward to more.