Memorandum 1.4  

I-5 Medford Viaduct Planning & Environmental Study Page 1 Memorandum 1.4 December 7, 2015

To: Lisa Cornutt and Anna Henson, Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 3

From: Marc Butorac, PE, PTOE, Patrick Marnell, and Zachary Horowitz

Date: December 7, 2015

Subject: Task 1.4 Safety Analysis Memorandum

Introduction

The objective of the safety analysis is to answer fundamental questions about the Interstate-5 (I-5) Medford Viaduct, which are:

Does the frequency of crashes, crash rate, crash severity, and/or crash types present on the Viaduct constitute a safety performance concern?

If there are safety concerns, would they be best met through a set of countermeasures (retrofit scenario) or another solution (rebuild or reroute scenarios)?

This memorandum examines crashes within a project area consisting of the mainline segment of I-5 from milepost 26.86 to 30.61, which includes the merge and diverge influence areas at the North Medford (MP 30) and South Medford (MP 27) interchanges. As shown in Figure 1, the reported crashes were separated into the following three groups based on reported location. Figure 2 on the following page shows the location and number of the I-5 crashes.

The purpose of this memorandum and the other early anchoring activity memorandums 

in Phase 1A of the project is to inform the Draft Problem Statement and guide further 

development of the project. 

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I-5 Medford Viaduct Planning & Environmental Study November 2015

Figure

2I-5 Mainline Crashes

(2010-2014)Medford, Oregon

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Coordinate System: NAD 1983 StatePlane Oregon South FIPS 3602 Feet

Crash Locations &Number of Crashes

Viaduct

Interchange Areas

Other Mainline

Memorandum 1.4  

I-5 Medford Viaduct Planning & Environmental Study Page 3 Memorandum 1.4 December 7, 2015

Crash Data

Crash records were obtained from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the five-year period from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2014 for the 3.75-mile segment of I-5 between the North (MP 30) and South (MP 27) Medford interchanges, and in the merge and diverge influence areas for the two interchanges. Attachment A contains the crash data worksheets. Intersection crashes (including at the I-5 interchange ramp terminals) were not analyzed as part of this memorandum and will be reviewed in Phase 1B.

Crash Analysis

Memorandum 1.4  

I-5 Medford Viaduct Planning & Environmental Study Page 4 Memorandum 1.4 December 7, 2015

Crash Rate Comparison

In order to compare the rate of crashes on segments of differing length the average crash rate per million vehicle miles (MVM) was calculated for the entire 3.75-mile I-5 study segment (which includes the Viaduct) as well as for the Viaduct segment alone. The crash rate is calculated using the following formula for the five-year study period.

5 5 10

365 / 5

Opportunities

Based on the analysis of the reported crash data, no hotspot safety issues were identified with the Medford Viaduct. Further detailed analysis may identify locations for spot improvements, such as those at the merge and diverge locations near the interchanges, or systemic issues that could be addressed by upgrading drainage or lighting conditions. Widening shoulders would provide additional space for drivers to recover from skids and improve mobility for incident responders. However, at the current planning analysis level, no countermeasures are proposed.

While there were no hotspot safety concerns identified on the Viaduct or within the 3.75-mile study segment of I-5 that would suggest the need to rebuild or reroute the facility, any future countermeasures or safety improvement needs at these locations should be balanced against other potential year 2040 needs (e.g., seismic) throughout the alternative development and screening process. In particular, opportunities to enhance emergency vehicle access on the Viaduct should be considered.

Attachments: Crash Data Worksheet