City News

Salem lists sidewalk on Southeast Commercial Street as priority for federal funding

Center Street Northeast on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

It will be easier to walk along Southeast Commercial Street across from Roth’s Fresh Market and Wilco if the city of Salem is able to get additional federal funding.

That project would add an 800-foot section of sidewalk along that road and add a traffic signal at the intersection of Southeast Commercial Street and Southeast Ratcliff Drive.

That’s one of five projects the city of Salem is seeking millions in federal funding for through the Salem-Keizer Area Transportation Study.

Salem-Keizer Area Transportation Study, the metropolitan planning organization that includes Keizer, Salem, Turner, Marion County, Polk County, the Salem Area Mass Transit District, the Salem-Keizer School District, is responsible for planning transportation improvement investments throughout the region.

The group has $10 million in funding available for projects ready to begin work between 2024 and 2027. Recipients are required to provide matching funds to cover at least 10% of the project cost.

The city is requesting additional funding for planned projects as costs have escalated.

In 2020, Salem was awarded $3.2 million in federal funds for the sidewalk project on Commercial. It’s requesting an additional $1.6 million for a total cost of $5.4 million. Construction is scheduled for 2026.

The second and third priority are projects on two sections of Southeast McGilchrist Street.

Improvements should add bike lanes, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and drainage systems. That project also includes realigning and adding traffic signals to Southeast 22nd Street, and adding a culvert across Pringle Creek.

The study awarded Salem $4.5 million to acquire rights-of-way for the McGilchrist project from Southeast 12th Street to Southeast 25th Street.

The city is requesting $6.1 million to complete the second phase from Southeast Ford Street to Southeast 25th Street.

It’s requesting another $5.5 million to complete the third phase, which runs from Southeast 19th

Street to Southeast 16th Street.

Construction is planned for next year.

Marion County approached the city with a proposal to submit joint applications to extend improvements on State Street and Center Street east to Cordon Road.

Those projects are intended to make it easier to walk or bike on those streets.  

Marion County already has plans to make improvements to a section of Center Street from Lancaster Drive and Northeast 45th Place.

The $3.7 million project the city is applying for funding for would add sidewalks and bike lanes on the north side of the street, stretching from Northeast 45th Place to Northeast Cordon Road. It would also include a center turn lane and a bike lane on the south side of the road.

 The other project is on State Street and runs from Northeast 46th Avenue to Northeast Cordon Road and would add a sidewalk on the south side of the street. That’s expected to cost $5.3 million. 

If the funding is awarded for those projects, the county and city will come up with an agreement for how they will split the costs.

Previous coverage: Roads for Marion County, more sidewalks in the city possible with new federal cash

Contact reporter Saphara Harrell at 503-549-6250, [email protected]. 

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