Two options for Hwy. 20/Barclay

Plans are moving forward to regulate the Barclay Drive/Highway 20 intersection - but the form that will take is still being worked out.

The final amended draft of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan for 2015-18 includes the project with STIP funding of $1,561,000. According to Gary Farnsworth, Oregon Department of Transportation area manager, the project is getting additional funding through the regional "enhance" program, evidence of its high priority.

Two types of "intersection improvements" are possible: A traffic signal or a roundabout.

"The city and community has been very clear that they prefer, desire, the roundabout," Farnsworth said.

But, since the intersection is on a state highway, the local community is not the only stakeholder. Farnsworth acknowledged that, while it's not unprecedented, a roundabout on a state highway is not the norm, and it requires buy-in from the freight industry.

"It's very unusual and we have a new statewide policy we're committed to follow to gain support ... for the change," he said.

Farnsworth said that preliminary engineering is underway on the project. He noted that many elements - property, amount of earth moved, issues with moving utilities and environmental impacts - are similar regardless of the final option chosen. And the preliminary engineering will help fix costs of both options.

But the buy-in of the freight industry is the key next step, Farnsworth acknowledged.

Farnsworth could only hazard a guess as to when the final decision will be made on whether Sisters will get a signal or a roundabout.

"It's going to be at least two, three, four more months," he said. "I don't know when we'd be targeting construction."

Public comment on the final amended STIP runs through March 31. The STIP document is available at www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/STIP. Comments are requested to go to [email protected]