Oregon Route 569

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Oregon Route 569
Length: 9.90 mi[1] (15.93 km)
Formed: 2007
West end: OR 126 in Eugene
East end: Gateway Street in Springfield
Oregon highways (lists: Routes - Highways)
< OR 551 US 730 >

Oregon Route 569 (OR 569) is an Oregon state highway serving as an outer quarter-loop in Eugene and Springfield. OR 569 comprises part of the Beltline Highway No. 69 (see Oregon highways and routes). It is 9.90 miles long and runs east-west. OR 569 is not a complete beltway, though it was originally proposed as such before freeway revolts resulted in the original plan being scrapped.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Route description

OR 569 begins at a T-intersection with OR 126, on the western edge of Eugene. At first, as it heads north and east, it is an expressway, with one at-grade signalized intersection. Soon it becomes a two lane freeway in each direction, as it crosses the northern edge of incorporated Eugene. From the highway, one sees mostly suburban housing and strip malls. At the eastern end, there is an interchange with I-5. OR 569 becomes an expressway again at Gateway Boulevard, where the state highway ends. The roadway continues as a local road, eventually reaching OR 528 in Springfield.

One other section of the initial proposal was built. This section is the stretch of 30th Avenue between the Amazon Park neighborhood and Lane Community College--a four-lane expressway which includes two interchanges. This route does not connect directly to the existing stretch of Belt Line Road.

Several enhancements to the Beltline Road have been proposed. The West Eugene Parkway, had it been built, would have intersected Beltline Road at a new interchange. Plans are underway to upgrade the interchanges with the Delta Highway[2] and I-5.[3] The latter interchange is currently a full cloverleaf design, and is considered to be both obsolete and dangerous. To upgrade the interchange, a flyover bridge is being built, eliminating the northeastern loop ramp and the weaving movements on northbound Interstate 5 and westbound Beltline Road. Plans are also underway to redesign the nearby intersection with Gateway Boulevard.[4]

[edit] History

The Beltline Highway was constructed by Lane County in the 1960's and transferred to state control in 1978 as Highway 69.[5][6] The highway was assigned the Route 69 designation effective September 19, 2002.[7] However, due to the sexual connotation of the number 69, sign theft would have been an issue, and the Oregon Department of Transportation wanted to sign the route to make navigation easier during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials,[8] so ODOT requested that the Oregon Transportation Commission change the number to 14.[9] At their January 25, 2007 meeting, the OTC decided to instead call the highway Route 569,[10][11] which kept with the pattern used in other cases where the highway number could not be used (usually because there was already a route with that number). Signs for Route 569 were posted by August 2007.[12]

[edit] Exit list

The entire route is in Lane County.

Location Mile[1] # Destinations Notes
Eugene 3.10 OR 126 (West 11th Avenue) At-grade
4.24 Roosevelt Boulevard At-grade
5.62 5 Barger Drive
6.58 6 OR 99Eugene Airport, Junction City
6.83 7A Prairie Road Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
7.09 7 Northwest Expressway
8.47 8 River Road - Santa Clara
9.56 River Avenue, Division Avenue No westbound entrance
10.05 Delta Highway, Ayres Road - Valley River Center, Downtown Eugene
11.66 Coburg Road
12.77-12.78 I-5Roseburg, Portland
Springfield 13.00 Gateway Street At-grade

[edit] References