A Thursday presentation in St. Helens, Ore., will focus on the findings of a recent safety audit on Oregon’s Highway 30 north of Scappoose.
The audit looked at safety risks within a small section of the highway between Berg Road and Milard Road, and found speed, intersection visibility, turning movements and drivers running off the road to be the biggest problems, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Two more safety audits on the highway — both within Columbia County, Ore. — will follow, according to ODOT.
The highway is a popular route for Southwest Washington residents heading to the coast, but it has seen dozens of crashes in recent years. The small stretch near Scappoose studied in the audit saw 60 collisions between 2005 and 2009, according to ODOT. The entire highway has seen several fatal crashes, including a 2009 wreck that killed four Ridgefield teenagers.
ODOT has proposed installing rumble strips, among other fixes, to improve safety on the highway. Thursday’s audit presentation begins at 6 p.m. in the St. Helens Village Inn, 535 S. Columbia River Highway in St. Helens.
