City hopes for interchange improvements
By Terry Murry on Thursday, January 14th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Improvement projects for exits from Interstate 84 are priorities this year for Pendleton Public Works Director Bob Patterson. He said a federal grant application for one and an Interchange Area Management Plan for another could pay big dividends.
The city and the Oregon Department of Transportation will, for the fourth time, apply for a U.S. Dept. of Transportation BUILD grant. It’s the city’s turn to take the lead on that application, and Patterson said that in 2020 the reviewers of the request had raised the question of why the city and state don’t go ahead and secure the rights-of-way that are needed.
“The problem is, we don’t have money to go out and start securing right of way unless we get the grant,” Patterson said. “It’s a Catch-22 at this point for us.”
The IAMP for both exits 207 and 210 is expected to be finalized this spring. Patterson says that the plan for Exit 210 could be a game changer as far as housing is concerned. It would open up a large swathe of new land for housing.
“We’re hoping that can be a viable development here within the next couple of years if not sooner,” Patterson said. “Those discussions are underway between developer and owner, and that’s about all I can say.”
The land Patterson is referring to lies between Highway 11 south to the city’s water filtration plant.
