A Mail Tribune Advertising Department publication
ODOT
19 2017
May
Workzone Safety
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Oregon 99 Paving
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Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo
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Shady Cove Enhancement
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Oregon 62 Expressway
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SUMMER WORK ZONES By Art Anderson, ODOT Area Manager of the Rogue Valley State highway projects are vital to Oregon’s economic health. That is an important detail I regularly stress as part of my job, although I understand it is sometimes difficult for travelers to remember, especially during long, hot summer months, when construction work zones on state highways lead to traffic backups and delays. I commute daily on Oregon 62 from Eagle Point to White City and also travel regularly along Interstate 5. I experience the frustration first-hand. Back-ups can happen quickly due to the high traffic volumes on these highways. A stoppage of only a couple of minutes can queue traffic longer than a mile. Summer is our busy season.
summer, although volumes climb even higher along popular tourism routes. Construction plans take these traffic volumes into account. We shut down work on our highways during the summer’s major holidays — Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day — to keep traffic flowing and prevent work zone crashes. Our team works continuously to improve our construction work zones. We separate work from traffic with concrete barriers; we schedule work at night, when traffic volumes are lower; and we provide more training for our construction project staff to manage work zone traffic control. We’ll continue to work hard to make our work zones understandable and clear as possible but we need your help to maintain safety.
Whether it is a multimodal project on Oregon 62 to increase capacity and improve safety or a chip seal on Oregon 140 to preserve the pavement, more construction projects, of course, require more work zones.
• Slow down when you see orange signs, barrels and barricades.
Traffic volumes increase more than 50 percent on average during the
• Increase your following distance.
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• Obey posted speed limit signs. • Don’t tailgate.
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• Merge into the correct lane well in advance. • Turn on your emergency flashers if traffic is slowing or stopping ahead. • Use alternate routes during the peak traffic hours. • Plan ahead. Call 511 or visit www. TripCheck.com before you hit the road. Many work zone crashes occur in the transition zone. The typical work zone crash is a rear-end collision into a line of stopped vehicles. The two biggest causes of work zone crashes are speeding and drivers not paying attention, what is now known as distracted driving. Nearly all crashes are preventable and are the result of poor choices. Work zone crashes tend to be more severe than other crashes and involve more fatalities. Slowing down and paying attention helps not only construction workers — your families,
your friends, your neighbors — but will protect yourself. I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you more drivers than construction workers are killed and injured in work zone crashes. I’m probably dating myself but I’ll end with one of the greatest catchphrases in television history, a valuable piece of advice from Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (Hill Street Blues) that I hope you and your family will take to heart this summer. “Let’s be careful out there.”
About Art Anderson As ODOT Area Manager for the Rogue Valley for the more than a decade, Art manages state highway construction projects in Josephine and Jackson counties. He represents the agency as a member of the Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation. Art also served our country for 20 years as a Civil Engineering Air Force officer.
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Summer Road Projects Map Highlighting summer work zones on the state’s roads, the 2017 Oregon Road Projects map is a valuable resource for safe and smooth travel. The map is available for free at DMV field offices, ODOT offices, visitor centers around the state, as well as online on the ODOT website. For current road conditions, including construction activity, motorists can call 511 or go online to TripCheck.com. A quick visit can help you avoid traffic congestion, work zone delays, or hazardous road conditions.
EDITORIAL DIRECTORS Jared Castle, 541-957-3656 jared.b.castle@odot.state.or.us Gary Leaming, 541-774-6388 gary.w.leaming@odot.state.or.us ADVERTISING Athena Fliegel, 541-776-4385 afliegel@mailtribune.com
CONTRIBUTORS Bret Jackson Publication Supervisor Steve Johnson Photography Brian Fitz-Gerald Illustration Shelley Snow, Shonna Zimmermann Editing
This feature publication is produced separately from the Mail Tribune’s editorial department. All content is developed and approved by the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer committed to a diverse workforce. Accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities; alternate formats are available upon request.
COVER The cover story artwork for the Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo was created with the assistance of the North Medford High School’s Engineering Design class. The cover photo features students Ernesto Hernandez, Michael Edwards, Kyla Hutchinson, Dana Jung and Emily Christiansen. Teacher Kirstie Christopherson is also the advisor of the SkillsUSA & Engineering Club at North Medford.
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OREGON 99 IMPROVEMENTS FROM TALENT TO ASHLAND A $5.4 million project that will enhance safety and livability along Oregon 99 from Talent south to Ashland begins this summer and will extend over the next two construction seasons. Bids opened last week. ODOT anticipates it will name the prime contractor later this month and will announce the news on the project webpage.
This summer, Oregon 99 will be paved and restriped from the Talent city limits south to Ashland. Most of the first phase of work will convert the highway to three lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes. At the same time, construction work in Talent will relocate utilities across Oregon 99 from Rapp Road to Creel Road. More improvements ODOT Project Leader Richard Randleman said the section of
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Oregon 99 from South Valley View to Jackson Road will remain in its current five-lane configuration because of the weave-and-merge traffic that accesses Oregon 99, Interstate 5, nearby businesses and the Bear Creek Greenway. A new bike lane will be added to this section, a benefit for local riders who use the highway to connect to the Bear Creek Greenway near South Valley View Road. New sidewalks will be constructed south of South Valley View Road, where nearly 17,000 vehicles on average use the highway daily. North of South Valley View Road traffic volumes drop to roughly half that volume. “We’re accommodating all users — vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians — and making Oregon 99 safer for residents and business customers who need to make a left turn,” said Randleman. Route options Nighttime paving operations this summer may still impact Oregon 99 during the day. “While contractors clean up after their nightly operations, bicyclists may want to use Bear Creek Greenway instead and avoid any chance of running into debris along the edges of the highway,” said Randleman.
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RVTD’s Ashland Route 10 bus stops along Oregon 99 will remain open and generally unaffected during the paving operations. “With ODOT’s help, we’ll keep our riders and drivers informed of the project as it progresses to keep everyone safe,” said RVTD Operations Manager Tim D’Allesandro. Next phase in 2018 The second phase of construction work in Talent will start in spring 2018. Urban improvements planned from Rapp Road to Creel Road include new curb, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes and driveways. The city of Talent is contributing $400,000 to the project. “This will be one of the pivotal projects for Talent and its future,” said Talent Mayor Darby Stricker. “What makes this a particularly great project is the impact it presents across the board. It’s not just safety but also livability and economic development potential for Talent.” One of the project’s early supporters, Mayor Stricker said the urban improvements will contribute to a strong business corridor by providing better visibility for business and better access to driveways.
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Cable barrier improves I-5 safety A $7.4 million safety project, stringing cable barrier down the Interstate 5 median, is underway in Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties. “We’re installing cable barrier in locations where there isn’t steel guardrail or concrete barrier,” said ODOT Project Manager Ted Paselk. Cable barrier is a very cost effective way to save lives. When a motorist leaves the roadway, the cable absorbs the energy and prevents the car or truck from crossing into the opposite lanes of traffic.
Cable barrier maintenance Cable barrier replaces concrete barriers and steel guardrails in locations where opposing lanes are separated by a median of less than 100 feet or are at different elevations. The cable barrier, usually placed at May 19, 2017
The cable barrier located south of Valley of the Rogue State Park is one of the I-5 locations struck most often, when southbound drivers fail to negotiate a gentle right curve and go off the highway into the median. “More crashes on I-5 would have resulted in death or more serious injuries if not for the cable barrier,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. A North Carolina DOT study found cross-median crashes to be three times more deadly than other freeway crashes.
The project installs cable barrier in 15 locations along I-5 from Ashland north to Rice Hill. Work is expected to be completed this year.
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least 12 feet from the fog line, is designed to deflect vehicles no more than nine feet.
Resetting the cable barrier after a crash is relatively inexpensive. ODOT maintenance crews replace the posts and use specialized tools to restring the cable and recalibrate the tension. Marmon said crews install the cable barrier within the rock shoulder to allow room to mow.
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Reach more than
100,000
Rogue Valley readers Inserted in the Mail Tribune, Ashland Daily Tidings, The Grants Pass Daily Courier, Rogue River Press, Upper Rogue Independent and the Illinois Valley News We’re in busy places including the Medford International Airport, the Medford Visitors Center, the Rogue Valley Transit District and the DMV
Reach your customers! Call 541-776-4422 odotmovingahead.com
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Slide repairs needed
ON OREGON 66
Slide activity on Oregon 66 (Greensprings Highway) requires more repair work, according to ODOT Maintenance Manager Everett Carroll. “We have a lot of snowmelt draining from the hills,” said Carroll. “We’re monitoring the slide activity and patching asphalt for now as a temporary repair.” ODOT has spent roughly $40,000 over the last two months patching slide damage on the Greensprings Highway between Buckhorn Springs
You can watch a video of slide repair on Oregon 66 online at https://goo.gl/st1mVM
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Road and Soda Mountain Road near milepost 12, a location well known for slide activity. In 2006, slide activity required a temporary highway closure while ODOT installed a larger culvert and raised the roadbed. “This is a slide-prone area,” said Carroll. “The heavy rainfall and runoff has forced our crew to make highway repairs nearly every day.” ODOT is designing a permanent fix for construction scheduled for summer 2018. With the increased slide activity, that timeline may be pushed up to this summer. The agency will purchase property downhill from the slide, part of a $700,000 repair project that will require a temporary highway closure and detour. The property will be used to build a large rock buttress and a new drainage system to keep the highway in place.
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SUMMER CHIP SEAL PROJECT
ON OREGON 140
More than 50 miles of Oregon 140 from White City to Klamath Falls is scheduled to undergo chip seal preservation in mid-July. The project will also cover sections of U.S. 97 near La Pine and Oregon 31 near Paisley. The chip seal process is fairly simple. Liquid asphalt is mixed with about 30 percent water and sprayed onto the road surface. A layer of crushed gravel is then applied by a spreader. The gravel is compacted and embedded into the asphalt with rubber-tired rollers. Traffic helps provide additional compaction. After a curing period (usually about two days), the loose gravel is swept on off the surface. “Chip seals are a relatively low cost way to preserve pavement,” said ODOT Project Manager Tom Feeley. “They cost about 20 percent less than normal pavement overlays. However, weather conditions must be ideal: hot and dry.”
Feeley said summer travelers can expect a two-mile work zone with flaggers and pilot cars providing traffic control. The chip seal will cover from fog line to fog line since many bicyclists use the smoother shoulder of Oregon 140. The work zone will have a 35 mph speed limit to reduce dust and flying rocks, which can cause vehicle and windshield damage. “Drivers need to do their part to make the project a success,” said Feeley. “Drivers not following the rules cause problems like dust, limited visibility and flying rocks.”
You can watch a video of the chip seal process online at https://goo.gl/rLXIw4
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Empower the Possible Students from Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties will converge in Canyonville on September 28 for the Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo, a full-day, hands-on experience for careers within the construction, manufacturing and utility trades. The SOTCE is designed to introduce high school students to the unlimited career opportunities. “The Expo is an invaluable showcase of careers available to Oregon’s youth,” said Tribal Workforce Development Manager Kelly Warner of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians. “Students will experience first-hand how they can apply their math, science and engineering studies to real life careers with fun, interactive learning.” Admission is free and snacks and lunches are provided. Pre-registration is required. According to Warner, a similar event held in Eugene in October 2016
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www.empowerthepossible.org To participate, contact ODOT Civil Rights Field Coordinator Christie Meacham at 541-957-3698
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drew nearly 350 students from 22 high schools. The September 28 event will be held at the Seven Feathers Convention Center. Expo partners are the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe, the Phoenix School of Roseburg and ODOT. SOTCE Highlights • Booth exhibits will provide valuable information. Exhibitors include construction, manufacturing, utilities, state agencies and trade apprenticeship programs. • Hands-on activities will provide students exposure to job-related skills and functions in a controlled environment, such as finishing concrete, setting tile, rebar-tying, and climbing power poles. • Heavy equipment exhibits will include opportunities for students,
under the guidance of a trained operator, to run the equipment as well as operators available to explain their job and the industry. • Utilities exhibits will cover a variety of equipment necessary to implement daily maintenance, new construction, or emergency response that most utility companies experience. Students will climb utility poles, experience utility truck bucket use, and learn the day-to-day operation of a utility company’s equipment operators.
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BIDS OPENED FOR
CAVEMAN BRIDGE
a single lane of traffic open. Twelve full-night closures, from 9 p.m. until 6:30 a.m., will be scheduled as needed over the length of the twoThe bridge rehabilitation project, year project. Special project provisions scheduled to begin after scheduled no-work weekends Labor Day weekend, is to avoid conflicts with expected to be under annual celebrations and active construction other key community until early 2019. Our goal is to events. Bridge The project team rehabilitation return Caveman will select a bid details are provided Bridge to its later this month in the graphic on and announce the original glory. the opposite page. selection on the — Bob Grubbs, ODOT Bridge Engineer A March open project website. house showcased “Our goal is to return the needed bridge Caveman Bridge to its improvements and original glory,” said ODOT detailed construction impacts Bridge Engineer Bob Grubbs. “It to traffic and nearby businesses. will be restored as something the City According to ODOT Project of Grants Pass, the Rogue Valley and Information Specialist Gary Leaming, the state of Oregon can be proud of the open house had a great turnout for many years.” that included a special appearance by the famed Oregon Caveman Club Construction work will affect traffic of Grants Pass, a boisterous group of nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with civic boosters formed in 1922. Bids opened earlier this month for the $5.3 million Caveman Bridge rehabilitation project in Grants Pass.
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SHADY COVE
ENHANCEMENT
“We can’t wait for it to start,” said Shady Cove Mayor Tom Sanderson of a $2.7 million community enhancement project on Oregon 62, scheduled to begin after Labor Day weekend. “Since the highway is the gateway to Crater Lake, this project will provide a better image for us and increase tourism. It’s extremely important to us.” The project will include a number of roadway safety improvements to the Oregon 62 repaving project, which extends north from the Rogue River Bridge to Cleveland Street in Shady Cove. The project builds: • Curb, gutter, sidewalks and bike lanes on the river side of Oregon 62 from the Rogue River Bridge to the north side of Chase Bank;
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• Curb, gutter, sidewalks and bike lanes on the west side of Oregon 62 from Chaparral Drive north to Cleveland Street; • Marked crosswalks and rapid flashing beacons north of Rogue River Drive, and between Chaparral Drive and Williams Lane; • A continuous two-way, left-turn lane on Oregon 62 from the Rogue River Bridge to Williams Lane; and • A right-turn lane with sidewalks from Rogue River Drive onto southbound Oregon 62. “Shady Cove’s tourism season is vital to the community, so we adjusted our construction schedule to reduce the impacts to those businesses and summer visitors,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming.
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“Some utility relocation work needs to be completed this spring and summer but the bulk of the construction work won’t begin until after Labor Day weekend.” Leaming noted that other project features once considered during the design phase have since been dropped from the project due to right of way costs and concerns from local businesses. The project features dropped from the project included: sidewalks from Rogue River Drive to Chaparral Drive; additional sidewalk on the river side of Oregon 62 from Chase Bank to Williams Lane; and a northbound RV pull-out across from Shady Cove Market and Phil’s Frosty. More project information is available online at https://goo.gl/nji4Kz
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The project bids next week. The winning bid will be announced on the project website.
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CONSTRUCTION RESUMES ON REST AREA/WELCOME CENTER After a wet winter and spring, construction resumes this month at the Siskiyou Rest Area and Welcome Center. The new Interstate 5 facility is being constructed roughly two miles south of Ashland’s Exit 14. The old rest area was closed in 1997 for public safety, following a series of commercial truck crashes on the steep grade. Construction on the new rest area and welcome center began in November 2015. The facility will serve as a signature destination for northbound travelers, those just needing to stretch their legs and visitors to Oregon wanting to learn more about the state’s tourism opportunities. Prime contractor Wildish Standard Paving of Eugene provided
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earthwork, paving and drainage during the project’s first phase. That work included grading and paving the I-5 ramps as well as construction of the facility’s parking lot, driveways and a service road from Crowson Road. The service road is used to deliver materials during construction and, later, for daily operational needs, including staff and deliveries. The second phase of construction involves building two Cascadiathemed buildings to add a gateway theme for visitors. The environmentally friendly design and sustainable ethic will complement the Welcome to Oregon sign at the California border as well as the new interchange aesthetics constructed at Ashland Exits 14 and 19.
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Oregon 62 Expressway Warmer and drier weather is helping prime contractor Knife River Materials catch up on construction work for the $120 million Oregon 62 Expressway project, especially within the busy Crater Lake Highway corridor from Delta Waters Road to Poplar Drive.
New curb, gutter, sidewalk and driveways are nearly complete along the south end of the project in addition to new approaches to Skypark and Whittle Roads. Paving work on the new third eastbound lane was completed earlier this month.
The multi-phase project will increase capacity and improve safety along the Oregon 62 corridor, a critical business connection for commercial freight, tourism and commuters from Medford to destinations east.
Next Steps In the heavily traveled south end of the corridor, construction of a directional interchange is expected to continue through the end of the year.
The project also builds a 4.5-mile, four-lane expressway that will connect near Interstate 5 Exit 30 and diverge from the Crater Lake Highway southeast of the Medford Airport. The expressway will extend north, cross over Coker Butte and Vilas Roads via an overpass, and connect at a signalized interchange with the existing highway near Corey Road. Two lanes of Oregon 62 remain open in each direction, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. “The schedule has been affected by the wet weather,” said ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher. “But Knife River has been able to push the project through to the next phase.”
“We’ll get the interchange built in this stage and, after that, we’ll add westbound traffic to it,” said Knife River Project Manager Tyler Douglas. Since construction in front of the south side businesses is nearly complete, the center concrete median will shift south. That will provide a buffer from westbound traffic as work progresses on the new interchange. “The two eastbound lanes will be narrower during this stage,” said Fletcher, “especially near Lava Lanes and the two left-turn lanes for the Safeway and Lowe’s shopping area. Those two lanes will be about 100 feet shorter through the summer and fall.” Electronic variable message signs will direct through traffic to stay right approaching the Delta Waters intersection. According to ODOT
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Oregon 62 Corridor Connectivity Corey Rd Fowler Ln Overpass
LANDMARKS
Vilas Rd
11 Costco
Crater L
2 Walmart Hubbard’s
ake Ave
3 Hardware
Rogue Valley 44 Medford Airport
Internati
Overpass
Coker Butte Rd
onal Wa
Lear Way
y
14
Commerce Dr Cardinal Ave
11 Owen Dr 12
Delta Waters Rd
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Wh
Delta Waters Rd
ittl
eR
d
Skypark Dr LANDMARKS
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Skypark Dr
Hilton Ave
Crater Lake Ave
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Delta Waters
Whittle Rd
The westbound lanes from Delta Waters Road will travel up and over the small directional interchange. Eastbound expressway traffic to White City will travel under it. Meanwhile, Oregon 62 traffic eastbound to the Delta Center shopping areas will continue as it does today.
Bullock Rd
Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming, the agency plans additional outreach to encourage traffic headed for Costco and Walmart to use the Owen Drive access instead of Delta Waters Road.
Roadways Open During Construction odotmovingahead.com
Phase Two Construction of the project’s second phase, on the north end of the corridor, bid last December. The work is just beginning between Vilas Road north toward Justice Road and farther along the expressway alignment where it will end near Crater Lake Highway and Agate and Corey Roads. Businesses next to where the expressway crosses Vilas Road, as well as residents along Peace Lane and Justice Road, are seeing increased truck traffic. The trucks are carrying loads of dirt and rock for the new roadbed as well as for the new Vilas Road overpass. When complete, Justice Road will be cut by the expressway with cul-de-sacs on each side. Emergency gates will be installed for emergency access to and from the expressway. Emergency service providers advised renaming Justice Road west of the expressway. The agency is working with Jackson County to facilitate the change. Construction has already changed the appearance of the area near the north end of the expressway, where it ends at a signalized intersection near Agate and Corey Roads. Agate Road closed earlier this spring. Before the end of this year, Crater Lake Avenue will be realigned and extended north to East Gregory Road. Access to Oregon 62 from Crater Lake Avenue will change to Fowler Lane with the closure of the Corey Road intersection. “We’re closing the Corey Road intersection for safety because of its close proximity to expressway signals,” said Fletcher. “Completion of the Crater Lake Avenue realignment is scheduled for later this fall.”
The new 4.5-mile, four-lane expressway is scheduled to open to traffic in late 2018. Clearing Crashes ODOT and Knife River met again with Medford-area emergency service representatives to share project information and examine response scenarios to potential traffic crashes in the work zone. The shared public safety goal is to remove vehicles blocking the travel lanes as soon as possible, reducing the likelihood of a secondary crash. “We’re all on the same page when there’s a work zone crash,” said ODOT Assistant District Manager Jeremiah Griffin. “Getting a crash cleared as soon as possible will reduce the chance of a secondary crash and keep traffic moving. That corridor is so busy that any crash will quickly affect local streets and back up traffic to I-5.”
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80 years of leadership
we offer more than great concrete
Delivering top quality concrete for residential and commercial projects is just one way Knife River Materials has been leading the way for more than 80 years. We continue to lead with environmentally friendly Warm Mix asphalt and new pick up and haul away rock service at our Medford Building Materials Store. But one thing isn’t changing – our employees dedication to bringing their A-Game to your job.
If you want the best for you and the environment, give Knife River Materials a call today.
541-770-2960