The Highway 211 corridor between Molalla and Colton is about to get some attention for the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Here’s a look at how it all came about and what’s about to occur.
In 2021, ODOT, community members and law enforcement worked together to designate the Highway 211 Safety Corridor between Molalla and Colton.
Safety corridor designations typically last for three-to-five years and implement education, engineering and enforcement to decrease fatal and serious injury crashes.
The fatal and serious crash rate in this 8-mile corridor was 166.5% of the statewide average for similar roads from 2015 to 2019. The most common causes of fatal and serious injury crashes were crossing over the center line, inattention, driving too fast for current conditions, and driving faster than the speed limit.
A safety corridor designation is a short-term way for ODOT to work with the community and law enforcement to raise awareness of fatal and serious injury crashes while working on safety improvements and longer-term solutions to decrease crashes.
A Successful Safety Corridor
ODOT’s Safety Corridor Program helps the agency identify parts of the highway system with high rates of serious and fatal injury crashes. After they designate an official safety corridor, they work for 3-5 years to reduce these crashes in the short term through partnerships with engineering, enforcement and education.
Safety corridor signs will be removed, and traffic fines will no longer be doubled once crash rates have declined and the corridor is decommissioned.
The goal: Reducing serious injury crashes by encouraging drivers to change poor behaviors within safety corridors and drive safely.
EDUCATION
ODOT works to raise awareness in the local community and with people traveling through this corridor about safe driving habits through signs, meetings, outreach and education.
ENGINEERING
ODOT completed a Road Safety Audit (RSA) in 2021 to evaluate the roadway safety conditions and completed brush removal throughout the corridor. As a part of the RSA, ODOT engaged a group of community and local agency partners to identify possible safety solutions for the corridor to reduce crashes and improve safety for all road users.
Based on the RSA, ODOT will be implementing low-cost solutions in 2024 to bring down the crash rate. Longer-term solutions are identified for future implementation as funding is available.
ENFORCEMENT
ODOT installed signs in October 2021 designating the limits of the safety corridor and announcing that traffic fines are now double. Law enforcement has committed to prioritizing the safety corridor to help reduce crashes in the short-term.
2024 Improvements
When work begins later this month to construct the below improvements, expect periodic lane closures with flaggers directing traffic on Highway 211 and side streets. Plan ahead by visiting TripCheck.com for real-time traffic impacts. Schedules are subject to change and weather dependent.
New Signs and Striping
The RSA showed high rates of crashes due to distracted driving and high frequency and severity of crashes at intersections. Highway 211 at Beavercreek Road had the highest crash rate in the corridor with 24 total crashes from 2016 to 2020.
Solution: To increase driver visibility and awareness we are installing new enlarged signs with high-visibility sheeting on stop signs and other signs such as intersection warning signs. We will also replace sign posts as needed and restripe the white stop bars on the road.
Transitional Speed Limit
ODOT completed a speed zone investigation prompted by a community request. Additionally, the RSA identified 14 crashes from 2016-2020 in Colton were the result of speeding. Studies show crash severity and severe injury rates increase with higher vehicle speeds.
Solution: This will be addressed by lowering the speed limit from 55 to 45 MPH in the corridor when approaching Colton from both directions.
New lighting
Approximately 35 percent of all crashes occurred in dark (no street lights), dawn, or dusk conditions.
Solution: Install new lights at two intersections to improve visibility for drivers at night.
Mumble Strips
About 25% of crashes resulting in a fatality or serious injury in this corridor were from head-on collisions.
Solution: Mumble strips notify drivers they are leaving their lane or the roadway. We are installing centerline mumble strips at the east end of the corridor. They are a proven safety measure and can reduce cross-centerline crashes by 40-60% (National Cooperative Highway Research Program).
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