Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Pleasant Valley Road and Highway 20 intersection has been on and off an Oregon Department Transportation list of problem intersections, although it is not on the list this year.
The intersection was the site of a two-car accident that sent six persons to the hospital on July 29. Two remained in the hospital this week.
Charles Sabisch, 96, has been transferred to Twin Oaks Rehabilitation Center where “he is coming along,” according to his son, Elmer Sabisch. Sabisch said his stepmother, Eula Sabisch, 79, remains at Oregon Health Sciences University where she has undergone several operations. On Aug. 7, she opened her eyes and was able to respond by blinking her eyes. She has a feeding tube in her mouth, so she is unable to communicate verbally.
She is making steady progress, Sabisch said. Her prognosis is good with reservations.
Sabisch said a traffic signal at the intersection would have completely prevented the accident.
In the past 10 years, ODOT has recorded 20 reported crashes at the intersection with no fatalities and two with severe injuries, Public Information Officer Lou Torres said. Twelve of those crashes have occurred within the last five years, including the two with severe injuries.
For 2005, ODOT has information available from January to April, Torres said. The intersection has had no reported crashes in that time.
Of the crashes, 18 have involved vehicles turning left, with 15 of those making a left off of Pleasant Valley Road.
ODOT uses what it calls the Safety Priority Index System (SPIS) method to identify locations with safety problems due to crash frequency, rate and severity at different sites, Torres said. The top 10 percent on the list are evaluated each year by ODOT to identify improvements that may reduce the number and severity of accidents.
The highway speed limit is 35 mph. Pleasant Valley Road forms a T intersection there with a stop sign. Highway 20 is five lanes wide, including a turn lane added in 2000.
Torres said the Pleasant Valley and Highway 20 intersection is not on the list this year, but it has been on and off the list in previous years.
“The intersection has been investigated for a signal but has not made any list, nor has funding been secured for a signal. There are no proposals for future projects at this time; however, ODOT’s Region Two continues to monitor this and other intersections. We will make recommended changes if the situation warrants.”
A 2003 study of the intersection by the city as part of its Transportation System Plan showed that the intersection met ODOT’s warrants a traffic signal.
At this point, the city has not pursued placing a traffic signal there.
City Senior Engineering Technician Joe Graybill said he supports placing a signal at the intersection. Based on his conversations with an ODOT official, he believes it would cost approximately $150,000 to install a signal.
ODOT will work with cities and counties on signal projects, Torres said. “Certainly, we’re going to listen to the city.”
Pleasant Valley Road tends to back up for a short time at the intersection in the afternoon when White’s Electronics closes for the day.