Oregon Route 18

Oregon Route 18
Length:	53.05 mi (85.38 km)
Formed:	1932
West end:	US 101 near Otis Junction
Major junctions:	OR 22 near Grande Ronde OR 22 near Willamina OR 18 Business in Sheridan OR 153 in Bellevue OR 99W near McMinnville OR 154 near Lafayette OR 221 near Dayton
East end:	OR 99W near Dayton
Oregon highways (lists: Routes - Highways) < OR 11 OR 19 >

Oregon Route 18 is a state highway that runs between the Oregon Coast, near Lincoln City and the Willamette Valley, near Dayton. It is also known as the Salmon River Highway No. 39 (see Oregon highways and routes), named after the river its westernmost segments run parallel to.

Route description

OR 18 begins (at its western terminus) at a junction with U.S. Route 101, a few miles north of Lincoln City near Otis Junction. From there it winds eastward though the coast range along the Salmon River, past Rose Lodge and through a stand of timber known as the Van Duzer Corridor. Emerging from the coast range, it enters the fringes of the Willamette Valley in the community of Grand Ronde. It is briefly joined by Oregon Route 22 at a location known as Valley Junction, and overlaps OR 22 in a four-mile (6 km) stretch between Grand Ronde and Willamina, at which point OR 22 heads southeast towards Salem and OR 18 continues northeast towards the Portland area. Also in Willamina, a business route veers off to the north to serve the cities of Willamina and Sheridan; east of Sheridan the business route rejoins the mainline. This business loop was the former route and highway until 1957, when the current Oregon Route 18 was built as a bypass.

The highway continues northeast on a straight and level course through Willamette Valley farmland, including the community of Bellevue which intersects with Oregon Route 153, until it intersects with Oregon Route 99W just south of McMinnville. In the McMinnville area, OR 99W serves as the primary business route (entering the downtown core) whereas OR 18 is a bypass route. Two interchanges along OR 18 provide access to McMinnville, including Three-Mile Lane, a spur of the highway. Oregon Route 18 provides direct access to the McMinnville Airport and the Evergreen Aviation Museum, home of the Spruce Goose. East of McMinnville, Oregon Route 18 intersects Oregon Route 233, with which it overlaps until its eastern terminus, and Oregon Route 221; the latter near the city of Dayton. It then crosses over the Yamhill River and terminates at a second junction with OR 99W. Typically, commuters continue north on OR 99W into the Portland area.

The highway is rather variant in its configuration. For most of its length, the highway is a two-lane undivided highway, with intersections and cross traffic. There are some limited-access stretches in the "bypass" sections (around the Willamina/Sheridan area, and near McMinnville and Dayton), and the occasional interchange in these stretches. In addition, there is a stretch between Willamina and Sheridan where the highway becomes a 4-lane divided expressway.

Oregon 18 approaching McMinnville

Currently, the route has a rather notorious reputation among motorists in Oregon, with a relatively high number of fatal accidents. The opening of two casinos, one in Grand Ronde and one in Lincoln City, have greatly increased traffic on OR 18. (In addition, the stretch of Oregon Route 99W immediately north of Dayton, through Dundee and Newberg, is a notorious traffic bottleneck.) Portions of Oregon Route 18 have been designated a safety corridor.

There are two proposed expansions to the highway. One is a project which would widen Oregon Route 18 to a four-lane expressway in the stretch between Grand Ronde and Willamina; an area where increased volume (largely due to the casino) has caused significant delays. This project is being constructed currently.

The second project is a new bypass around the Newberg-Dundee area intended to alleviate severe congestion that occurs along 99W. This new route will either be an expressway or a freeway. A route number for this latter project has not been published; however, planning documents and maps present it as an extension to Oregon Route 18.

Major intersections

Note: mileposts do not reflect actual mileage due to realignments.

County	Location	Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
Lincoln		-0.22	US 101 – Tillamook, Astoria, Lincoln City, Newport	Interchange
	Otis Junction	1.31	Old Scenic Highway 101
Polk		22.60	Spirit Mountain Casino	Interchange
	Valley Junction	23.04	OR 22 west – Hebo, Tillamook	West end of OR 22 overlap
		27.16	OR 18 Bus. east – Willamina, Sheridan	Interchange
		27.28	OR 22 east – Salem	Interchange; east end of OR 22 overlap
Yamhill County	Sheridan	32.60	Sheridan	Interchange; signed as exit 33
		33.82	OR 18 Bus. west – Sheridan, Willamina	Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exit 34
	Bellevue	36.93	Amity, Salem (OR 153)
	McMinnville	44.36	OR 99W – Corvallis, McMinnville	Interchange
		46.13	McMinnville (McMinnville Spur)	Interchange
		49.91	OR 233 south (Lafayette Highway) – Lafayette, Hopewell, Amity	West end of OR 233 overlap
	Dayton	51.37	OR 221 – Dayton, Salem	Interchange
		52.71	OR 99W north – Portland

References

External links

• Newberg/Dundee Transportation Improvement Project
• Project website for proposed expansion in Grand Ronde area
• Salmon River Highway Information
• ORoads: Oregon Route 18