By SUE RYAN
News staff writer
December 3, 2007

How to solve the problems of traffic congestion while coping with economic development needs was the focus of a discussion Thursday between local officials and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

By meeting’s end, the entities involved had tentatively agreed to push back completion of a process to upgrade Exits 62 and 63 on Interstate 84 by four to six months. But that won’t hinder the plan to resolve traffic congestion at Exit 64.

State officials said that separating plans to solve one exit’s problem from solving other exits’ issues was a departure from standard planning practices.

ODOT planner Kristen Stallman said that the state wants to figure out transportation needs in concert with local land use planning.

“The most important part is that separating the IAMP process for Exits 62 and 63 from construction at Exit 64 would allow for more thoughtful and collaborative planning,” she said.

The state began studies in June 2006 to look at how to solve traffic issues involved with access both on and off the freeway for Hood River. This summer they studied the effects to traffic within the city from any potential highway changes.

Part of the analysis involves possible revisions to comprehensive plans and zoning for the city and Hood River County.

The Interstate Access Management Plan, or IAMP, was expected to be completed in August 2008. Under a draft agreement discussed Thursday, that could be pushed back to January or February of 2009.

What Thursday’s discussion involved was how that timeline could be adjusted to meet both local and state government needs.

“The best solution is to work hard and cooperatively to reach the nexus between land use build-out and transportation facility,” said Port Executive Director Michael McElwee.

He said that the port appreciates that ODOT will consider going slower so development at the Hood River waterfront can be accommodated.

Traffic issues and factors vary from exit to exit. One factor on Exit 63, which connects to Hood River’s Second Street, is that development is intertwined with access for the port and city.

That is because the state owns Riverside Drive, which is the road paralleling I-84 in front of Hood River Distillers and the Covenant Church of Christ.

If more development occurs, then it can affect traffic patterns at the port and downtown. But any development proposals to use Riverside Drive are contingent upon state approval.

Another local factor is the port’s potential Frontage Road, which the port has proposed to provide a crossing from one part of the waterfront to another without having to get on the highway.

The port would like to complete a feasibility study on building Frontage Road before the state’s plan is completed.

The next step involves ODOT drafting a Memorandum of Understanding document to send to the city, county and port.