OSP Receives Grant to Increase Patrols on Highway 99E Between Salem and Woodburn

In November 2002, ODOT designated the approximately 11-mile stretch of highway as a safety corridor due to higher than average crash problems.

OSP on saturation patrols in early 2006 Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - The Oregon State Police has been awarded grant funds to provide extra enforcement between Salem and Woodburn in the Highway 99E Safety Corridor, one of seven safety corridors around the State to be selected by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

"Safety Corridors are sections of state highways that ODOT has identified as having a fatal and serious injury crash rate that is at or higher than 110 percent of the three-year statewide average for a similar type roadway," said Anne Holder, ODOT Safety Division Statewide Roadway Safety Program Manager.

OSP received grant funding to work 273 overtime hours during 2006 in the Highway 99E Safety Corridor.

OSP Sergeant Dale Young says that the area has seen an above average number of serious crashes in relation to other two-lane highways in the area.

Young pointed out that most of the crashes were determined to have been caused by intoxicated drivers or other hazardous driving behaviors, such as speeding, unsafe passing, and following too closely.

Young added that a recent review of OSP records indicated that no serious crashes occurred in this area during 2005 while our officers were actively engaged in traffic safety enforcement within this safety corridor.

Some recent improvements by ODOT to key intersections on the highway appear to have also played a role in reducing the number of serious traffic crashes Young said.