ODOT outlines phased OR 126 safety upgrades; seeks roughly $30 million federal grant

Interim ODOT Area 5 Manager Ian Roholt told the Veneta City Council that the OR 126 corridor — stretching from Terry Street near Eugene to Huston Road — needs long-term widening and multimodal facilities to improve safety and reduce delay. Roholt said the corridor’s master plan calls for two travel lanes in each direction plus a separated multi-use path on the north side but that the full buildout would cost “on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars,” so the effort has been broken into smaller, fundable segments.

Roholt described the near-term approach: where possible, the project will convert the existing two-lane highway to three lanes with a center left-turn lane or refuge, widen shoulders, and construct a multi-use path on the north side. He said roundabouts — proposed at key intersections including Huston Road — are being prioritized as an intersection-control strategy that can improve safety now while allowing later expansion. “This is a really big corridor,” Roholt said, adding that work completed to date includes environmental review and NEPA approval from the Federal Highway Administration. The next major milestone is final approval of a federal grant, which Roholt characterized as approximately $30 million; once the grant is secured the team expects to move into design work promptly.

Councilors pressed ODOT staff on interim safety measures and design details. Councilor David Voltz noted pedestrian risk, saying the corridor currently has “no sidewalk, no bike lane,” and asked whether more immediate speed-control measures could be pursued before construction. Public Works Director Kyle Schauer said roundabouts are among the most effective treatments for slowing traffic and reducing severe crashes. City Administrator Matt Michel raised questions about how temporary lane transitions influence driver behavior and whether right-of-way should be acquired now to accommodate ultimate widening; Roholt said right-of-way acquisition and the degree of upfront accommodation depend in part on available funding but that designers can stage elements so future lanes and larger roundabouts remain feasible.

The council expressed broad support for the safety-focused work while voicing frustration that current funding will not deliver the corridor’s full ultimate cross section. Roholt emphasized that the current phase is intended to improve safety and operations while preserving the potential for future expansion. The Council asked to be kept apprised as design moves forward; ODOT staff pointed to the project website for ongoing updates. The meeting adjourned at 5:34 p.m.