Oregon Route 99E Business#History
{{short description|State highway business loop in Oregon, United States}}
{{redirect|Interstate 305 (Oregon)|the hidden route in California|Interstate 80 Business (Sacramento, California)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox road
|state=OR
|type=OR-Bus
|route=99E
|alternate_name=Salem Highway No. 72
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Oregon Route 99E Business}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=OR 99E highlighted in red
|maint=Oregon Department of Transportation and City of Salem (Chemawa Road portion)
|length_mi=9.77
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=OR|I|5|OR|22|OR|99E}} in Salem
|junction={{Jct|state=OR|OR|22}} in Salem
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=OR|OR|99E}} in Salem
|established=
|spur_type=OR
|spur_of=99E
}}
Oregon Route 99E Business (OR 99E Business) is a business route through Salem, Oregon for Oregon Route 99E, which bypasses downtown via Interstate 5 (I-5). A portion of this highway was originally planned to be a freeway, signed as Interstate 305; however the proposed freeway was cancelled after community opposition.
Route description
File:OR 22 and OR 99E Business leaving Salem, OR.jpg
The northern end of OR 99E business is at an intersection with OR 99E north of the Salem area. It runs west for approximately {{convert|1|mi|km}} along Salem-maintained Chemawa Road to an interchange with I-5 and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway (designated by ODOT as Salem Highway #72 and formerly named Salem Parkway) near Keizer. The highway then runs southwest along the parkway for approximately {{convert|3|mi|km}}, then turns south along the Commercial Street/Liberty Street couplet for another {{convert|2|mi|km}}. In downtown Salem, the highway skirts downtown along Front Street, where it interchanges with and shares an alignment with Oregon Route 22. OR 22/OR 99E then leave downtown via Pringle Parkway, skirting the southern edge of the Willamette University campus, then, via a pair of ramps, interchange with Mission Street. The highways then head southeast for {{convert|2.4|mi|km}} until an interchange with I-5 and OR 99E. This interchange marks the end of OR 99E Business; OR 22 continues to the east along North Santiam Highway.{{cite web
|publisher = Oregon Department of Transportation
|url = http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/TRAFFIC/TEOS_Publications/PDF/Descriptions_of_US_and_Oregon_Routes.pdf
|title = Descriptions of US and OR Routes
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051102084300/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/TRAFFIC/TEOS_Publications/PDF/Descriptions_of_US_and_Oregon_Routes.pdf
|archive-date = November 2, 2005
}}
{{-}}
History
{{infobox road small
|header_type=former
|state=OR
|type=I
|route=305
|location=Salem, Oregon
|formed=
|deleted=
|length_mi=
|length_ref=
}}
The section which is now Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway was originally planned to be a freeway (Salem Freeway #65), which was to be signed as Interstate 305. After originally being conceived only as a four-mile (6 km) spur of I-5 into downtown Salem, the I-305 project was modified and expanded by about {{convert|2.34|mi|km}} to include a new bridge across the Willamette River to meet OR 22, providing increased access to Polk County.Oregon Department of Transportation, [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/docs/Oregon_Interstate_Background.pdf Interstate 50th Anniversary: The Story of Oregon's Interstates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215211231/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/docs/Oregon_Interstate_Background.pdf |date=December 15, 2006 }}, accessed April 14, 2006 (PDF) It was designated as Salem Freeway Highway No. 65 by the state government in 1968.{{cite web |author=Engineering and Technical Services |date=March 2020 |title=History of State Highways in Oregon |page=65-1 |url=https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/ETA/Documents_Geometronics/ROW-Eng_State-Highway-History.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |accessdate=September 27, 2021}} Local opposition cancelled the freeway in 1976 and the state government requested its withdrawal from the Interstate System in 1977.{{cite news |last=Bennett |first=Chuck |date=November 12, 1976 |title=Keizer freeway plan crossed out |page=1A |work=Capitol Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21664776/i305_proposal_retracted/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=July 7, 2018}}{{cite web |year=1998 |title=Part V: Interstate Withdrawal-Substitution Program |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/data/page05.cfm |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |accessdate=November 27, 2021}} Despite the cancellation of I-305, the parkway was later built as an undivided expressway. It was renamed by the Salem City Council from Salem Parkway to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway (signed as Dr. MLK Jr Pkwy) in 2022.{{cite press release |url=https://www.cityofsalem.net/Home/Components/News/News/378/15 |title=City of Salem Honoring Civil Rights Icon by Renaming Salem Parkway |date=September 10, 2022 |agency=City of Salem}}{{cite news |url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/07/12/salem-city-council-rename-salem-parkway-martin-luther-king-jr/65371856007/ |title=Salem City Council votes to rename Salem Parkway in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |date=July 12, 2022 |first=Whitney |last=Woodworth |work=Statesman Journal}}{{cite news |url=https://www.keizertimes.com/2022/07/13/salem-parkways-new-name-will-honor-martin-luther-king/ |title=Salem Parkway’s new name will honor Martin Luther King |work=Keizertimes |date=July 13, 2022}}
The original alignment of OR 99E through Salem came from the south off I-5 onto Commercial Street and left to the north on Portland Road to cross I-5. In May 1986, due to Salem Parkway opening north of downtown, OR 99E was rerouted onto I-5 around Salem, and its old route south of downtown, along with the Salem Parkway and Chemawa Road north of downtown, became OR 99E Business. In March 1992, OR 99E Business was moved onto OR 22 southeast from downtown.
A section of OR 219 served part of this corridor, traveling on Broadway and River Road, until it was truncated.{{cite map |year=1977 |title=Official Highway Map of Oregon |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |location=Salem |url=https://digital.osl.state.or.us/islandora/object/osl%3A70849 |via=Oregon State Library |accessdate=September 27, 2021}}
Future
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City of Salem are considering building an additional bridge across the Willamette River, north of the current Marion and Center Street bridges (which carry OR 22 across the river, and are the only river crossings for motor vehicles in the city). The exact location and alignment of this proposed new bridge and its connecting routes is presently under study, but generally, the routes being considered would connect to OR 99E Business at or near the southern end of Salem Parkway on the river's eastern shore, and provide access to both OR 22 and OR 221 on the western side. Such a route would be similar to that proposed for I-305.{{cite web|url=http://www.salemrivercrossing.org/|title=Salem River Crossing|publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation|access-date=October 3, 2007}}
Major intersections
{{Jcttop|state=OR|county=Marion|location=Salem|length_ref={{cite web |title=SALEM HIGHWAY No. 72 |url=https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/SLC_Hwy072.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |access-date=January 12, 2021}}{{cite web |title=NORTH SANTIAM HIGHWAY No. 162 |url=https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/SLC_Hwy162.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |access-date=January 12, 2021}}}}
{{ORint
|type=concur
|mile=0.00
|road={{Jct|state=OR|I|5|OR|99E|city1=Portland|city2=Eugene}}
{{Jct|state=OR|OR|22|dir1=east|city1=Stayton|city2=Detroit Lake}}
|notes=Southern end of OR 22 overlap
}}
{{ORint
|type=concur
|mile=3.72
|mile2=3.80
|road={{Jct|state=OR|OR|22|dir1=west|name1=Marion Street Bridge|road|Center Street Bridge}}
|notes=Northern end of OR 22 overlap; no access to westbound OR 22 from southbound OR 99E Business
}}
{{ORint
|mile=4.00
|road={{Jct|state=OR|road|Commercial Street|to2=y|OR|22|dir2=west|OR|221}}
}}
{{ORint
|mile=8.73
|road={{Jct|state=OR|I|5|road|Salem Parkway|city1=Salem|city2=Portland}}
{{Jct|state=OR|road|Chemawa Road NE|city1=Keizer}}
}}
{{ORint
|mile=9.65
|road={{Jct|state=OR|OR|99E|name1=Portland Road|city1=Salem|city2=Oregon City|city3=Portland|city4=Eugene}}
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
References
{{Attached KML}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oregon Route 099E Business}}