HERMISTON – The Oregon Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting Thursday to present the community with proposed improvements to the intersection of Elm Avenue and Diagonal Road.

The meeting is scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. at the Faith Church of God, at the corner of the project site.

With construction planned for 2006, preliminary design is now under way to identify the appropriate improvements at the project location.

According to ODOT statistics, there were 18 non-fatality accidents at the existing six-legged intersection between 1994 and 1997, said ODOT project leader Doug Wright.

The project was placed back on the schedule in 1997. It had been pulled because of funding, he said.

Approximately $2 million from the Oregon Transportation Investment Act was allocated for a modernization project at this intersection, Wright said.

The proposed design will change the intersection by separating and realigning some of the connections, and may include a new 900-foot section of road.

Recently, ODOT designated the Northeast Diagonal Road and Elm Avenue legs of the intersection as the Highway 207 Truck Route. The proposed design will allow truck traffic to flow freely through the intersection while continuing to allow traffic movements in all existing directions.

Plan drawings of the project design will be on display at the meeting.

At the meeting, ODOT personnel will provide an overview of the project as well as answer questions regarding the design, right of way impacts and schedule for both development and construction.

For more information, call Wright at 963-1362.