Wasco County has asked the Oregon Department of Transportation to lower the speed limits on two sections of roads in Wasco County. In 2017, as part of making speed adjustments on a number of roads in the state, raised the speed limit on Highway 197 from 55 to 65 miles per hour, and Highway 216 went from 45 to 55. At yesterday’s Wasco County Commission meeting, Chair Steve Kramer said bus drivers for the Dufur School District had been having problems at the intersection of 197 and Five Mile Road, and ag producers on Highway 216 were interested in reducing speeds.
“I was pursuing the idea of just three miles of the interchange between 197 and Five Mile. Friends at ODOT told me we would have a better chance if we went for a change on the entire section between Dufur and The Dalles.”
All three commissioners approved making application to ODOT to conduct a traffic study, with the goal of returning Highway 197 from The Dalles to Dufur back to 55 miles an hour, and Highway 216 from the flashing light in Tygh Valley to Shearer’s Bridge from 55 back to 45 miles per hour.
And Kramer said there was an addition impetus to request the change.
“The reason I’m pursuing this is since 2017, we’ve had five fatalities between The Dalles and Dufur.”
Public Works Manager Arthur Smith said not to expect change anytime soon, as highway studies typically take from 6 to 8 months.