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New Corridor and Palouse River Drive Concepts
Level 2 New Corridors Considered
Thirteen intersections near Moscow and two near Potlatch passed Level 1 Screening. In Level 2, Palouse River Drive was considered as:
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A stand-alone concept
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A connection to other New Corridors
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A component of the Pullman-Whitman County Freight Alternatives Study, which occurred concurrently with the US-95 Study and identified an off-system improvement for the on-system network for agricultural freight
Supporting the Pullman-Whitman Study
While the Pullman-Whitman Study’s alternatives were not included as concepts in the US-95 Study, the traffic data associated with its preferred alternative provided important insights into freight movement and the potential impact on overall traffic patterns in the region.
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Corridor widths and the associated impact areas presented herein are conceptual and intended for planning-level analysis only, and should not be relied upon for precise delineation or quantification of environmental impacts.
New Corridor Travel Times
Overview
Congestion mitigation is a primary purpose of this study.
To analyze New Corridor Concepts and their ability to address congestion, we considered intersection combinations of quadrants, halves, three-quarters, and whole alignments.
Assessing Travel Time for New Corridors
Travel time through downtown Moscow was assessed using Google Maps travel-time estimates for each Origin-Destination (O-D) pair. O-D measures the number of vehicles passing between two points.
Assumptions and Benchmarks
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Assumed drivers will opt for the shortest travel time
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Set a 30 mph average trip speed
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Used congested conditions (PM peak) as a benchmark
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Used a 2050 traffic growth factor of 2.0 on the western portion of SH-8 and 1.4 for the remainder of Moscow highways
Ranking New Corridors
Density
Density is a measure of the New Corridor utilization — this can be thought of as the “draw” or number of vehicle trips removed from the existing roadway per mile of new road.
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Density is useful because it normalizes the travel demand of the corridor by distance.
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General finding: Routes closer to town are more attractive and may be easier to construct.
Results
Using projected year 2050 Density, 17 Corridors ranked as top performers.
Top Performing New Corridors
Top 17 New Corridor Concepts by Density
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Southern half
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Western half
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Multiple three-quarter alignments
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No quadrants were in the top performing group as stand-alone concepts, including the Palouse River Drive quadrant
The 17 top performing New Corridor Concepts are predicted to remove about 10 to 20% of traffic from downtown Moscow.
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Concept: Moscow New Corridors
New Alignment
Level 2 Screening Result: 17 Top Performing New Corridors Carried Forward
Key Components
Intersections were identified as helpful starting points for studying potential new corridors. New corridors are drawn at 700 to 1000-foot widths. Intersections, connecting corridors, and new alignment widths will be refined in Level 3 of this study and in any future project development. For example, Intersection 2 will move due to recent development and growth.
Results
Graphic Examples of New Alignment Roadway Elements
Because we build new roads to the latest design standards, many roadway elements would be determined by engineering best practices and technical data at the time of final design and construction. Specific roadway elements for a new alignment will be refined as we progress through the process.
Two-Lane Roadway
Four-Lane Highway with Center Turn Lane
Four-Lane Divided Highway
Click here to view a PDF of the Top 17 Moscow New Corridor Concepts