A Mail Tribune Advertising Department publication
ODOT
October
2018
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Preacher Slide
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Caveman Bridge
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Oregon 62 Expressway
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Jeremiah Griffin
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Shady Cove’s Improvements
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Mark Your Calendar! Southern Oregon high school students will converge in Canyonville to “Empower the Possible” on Sept. 26, 2019 at the Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo. The SOTCE provides students a fullday, career experience to apply their math, science and engineering studies with fun, interactive learning opportunities. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians hosts the event at the Seven Feathers Convention Center. Free admission includes snacks, water and lunch. According to ODOT Civil Rights Field Coordinator Christie Meacham, the 2017 Expo attracted 771 high school students from 23 private and public schools in Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties. Pre-registration is required. Register at www.empowerthepossible.org. Schools and companies interested in participating can also contact Christie Meacham at 541-957-3698 or christie.meacham@odot.state.or.us.
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@rosebudmedia.com
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Attention Small Businesses! Southern Oregon University’s Small Business Development Center invites small and large businesses to attend its 2018 Rogue Valley Small Business Resource Forum, Friday, Oct. 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the SOU/RCC Higher Education Center, 101 S. Bartlett Street, Medford. This year’s Forum is in conjunction with the Governor’s Marketplace. The goal of the Governor’s Marketplace is to provide valuable information, tools and resources, and create or strengthen relationships to assist Oregon small businesses to get back to work. Both events are free, but participants must register to attend. For more information, please contact SOU’s Small Business Development Center at 541-552-8300, or sbdc@sou.edu. Registration forms available online at sou.edu/sbdc.
CONTRIBUTORS Jaren Hobson Graphic Design Steve Johnson Photography Brian Fitz-Gerald Illustration Shelley Snow, Charles Duncan Editing
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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.
Preacher Slide
After a two-month closure for slide repairs, the Old Siskiyou Highway (Oregon 273) reopened on Sept. 12, heralded by local residents, delivery service drivers, and local cyclists who ride the highway to reach the top of Mt. Ashland. Preacher Slide repair work was centered just east of the southern Oregon landmark, Callahan’s Mountain Lodge, on Old Siskiyou Highway. The project cost $2.2 million.
“Construction was a hassle for everyone,” said Leaming. “For the first few weeks of school, even the buses used an alternate plan to pick up and drop off students above and below the slide area. We understand this was a major inconvenience and
Prime contractor Copeland Construction of Grants Pass excavated and hauled off more than 2,220 dump truck loads of dirt and debris. To form a buttress and new roadbed, Copeland Construction hauled nearly 1,400 dump trucks of rock to the site. “The rock buttress works like a doorstop, holding the slide back,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. Copeland Construction built a new slope drainage system that diverts water away, relieving pressure from behind the slide, resolving an annual battle over the past eight years. odotmovingahead.com
Watch the video
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Preacher Slide want to thank the community for their patience and support. “Rather than come back each spring to undo the damage caused by winter storms, we expect this repair to hold up for many years to come.”
Summit. That repair also installed a large rock buttress and new drainage system.
“... We expect
ODOT had planned both repair projects, Preacher Slide and the ‘Crack of Doom’ Slide on Oregon 66, under the same contract this past summer. This was the Unfortunately, second slide fixed the ‘Crack of — ODOT Project Information Specialist in southern Jackson Doom’ Slide Gary Leaming County over the didn’t cooperate, last two years. necessitating an Last summer, emergency contract repair work finished on the ‘Crack of or risk losing the Greensprings Doom’ Slide on historic Greensprings Highway for the entire winter. Highway (Oregon 66) near Cascade
this repair to hold up for many years to come.
”
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finishlinerealestate@gmail.com 201 W. Main St. Ste 1A • Medford
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201 W. Main St. Ste 1A • Medford October 5, 2018
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Caveman Bridge
Transforming from “gray and dingy” to “fresh and vibrant” is a makeover most people would appreciate for their own mode of transportation, whether it is truck, car, bicycle, or skateboard. Understandably, the pleasure is tenfold for Grants Pass citizens as the $5.3 million Caveman Bridge rehabilitation project boldly refreshes their iconic landmark. “I love the look of the bridge,” said Grants Pass City Council President Valerie Lovelace. “It looks sharp and dressed up. It really pops. The
improvements make the river front area, with its many attractions, a fun place to be.” The Caveman Bridge returned to its original white patina, with new, historic-looking rail that, most importantly, meets today’s crash standards. Prime contractor HP Civil Inc. of Stayton installed period lighting on the bridge reminiscent of when it first opened in 1931.
story continued on page 17
Larry Nicholson, Agent 1380 Biddle Rd, Ste B Medford, OR 97504 larry@larrynicholson.com Bus: 541-772-3233 MF-00096693
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80 years of leadership
BUILDING THE FUTURE YOU DEPEND ON
Thanks Southern Oregon residents and visitors for being a great partner this year! Wow, it has been a busy year with work on the new Highway 62 Expressway, major paving contracts, and tons of road work. We want to thank you for your willingness to take a few more minutes to get to places. Truth is, building the future depends on everyone willing to be inconvenienced just a bit. Our employees thank you for keeping them safe and productive this year. If you want the best for you and the environment, give Knife River Materials a call today.
541-770-2960
2040 Transit Master Plan
RVTD is preparing a 2040 Transit Master Plan to envision how it will provide public transit, paratransit service, bus rapid transit, commuter, express and transportation options over the next 25 years. New funding will become available in 2019 through the Keep Oregon Moving transportation bill. This landmark legislation created new operation revenues to expand transit services across Oregon. The 2040 Transit Master Plan will be the leading public transportation guide for the RVTD service area, providing mobility solutions, strategic planning and prioritization of new service while maintaining fiscal conservancy. The plan will consider new and existing employment centers, helping RVTD meet the needs of commuters. However, the greater challenge is providing service to hillside residential areas of Medford and Ashland. Transit transfer centers and passenger shelters, as well as place-making features to further community identity, will be integral to the plan. Strategic plans will also include larger facilities such
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as maintenance and administration buildings, bus storage, fueling stations and electric buses. The RVTD Board of Directors expects to adopt the final plan in spring 2019. A consultant provides RVTD with technical expertise including the design and implementation of service types, performance measures and policy preparation. Once developed, the Plan will provide the RVTD Board of Directors, managers, and staff a framework for providing transit and transit-related services to the Rogue Valley and beyond.
RVTD wants to hear from you! Watch for more information about our in-person and online open houses. For meeting dates and to make a comment on the interactive project map go online to RVTD2040TransitMasterPlan.com, where you can also subscribe to a project email list for ongoing updates. Provide your input today!
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Oregon 62 Expressway “This past summer was our busiest period of construction on the Rogue Valley Expressway, from about Vilas Road north,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. “The work went unnoticed by most travelers. Night owls in the area saw lots of construction activity, including grading work for the new concrete roadway, which needed the cooler night temperatures.”
concrete needed to feed its paving machines. They paved more than 18 lane miles of concrete road. “The concrete surface will perform well in our southern Oregon weather,” said ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson. “We expect to get decades of maintenance-free use.”
Until the end of the year, construction work north of Vilas Road will focus on concrete paving of the center median Early next year, the entire 4.5-mile, and shoulder as well as adding four-lane Rogue Valley Expressway barrier, guard rail and will open. The new striping. Before the full road will reduce travel opening of the Rogue times and increase Valley Expressway, the safety from Medford contractor will update to White City. roadway signs on the project’s south end Prime contractor Knife and stripe the new River Materials of transition from the Central Point brought existing Oregon 62 back its portable (Crater Lake Highway) concrete plant and located across from located it off Helo — ODOT Area Manager Dazey’s Hubbard’s Drive to produce Art Anderson hardware store. the huge amount of
concrete “ The surface will
perform well in our southern oregon weather.
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Oregon 62 Expressway Increase capacity, improve safety
of the old Medco multi-use path has reopened for pedestrians and bikes to connect from the Delta Center. The path features a new riding surface as well as lighting.
The $120 million project increases capacity and improves safety, improving a critical business connection for commercial freight, tourism and commuters from Medford to destinations east.
“You’ll notice the lighting at the south end on the roadway and multi-use path looks pretty low. That’s by design since it is so close to the flight path for the Rogue Valley-Medford airport,” said Anderson. ODOT worked closely with airport officials and the Federal Aviation Administration to make sure the project did not interfere with airport safety and operations.
The four-lane expressway begins east of Interstate 5 Exit 30 and diverges from the Crater Lake Highway southeast of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. The Rogue Expressway spans Coker Butte and Vilas roads, and connects at a signalized intersection with Oregon 62 near Corey Road.
Rogue Valley Expressway
The corridor between Poplar/Bullock Roads and Delta Waters Roads features new sidewalks and bike lanes. On the north side of the highway, part
As times change, names change, and sometimes they change more than once. When groundbreaking for the first phase of the Oregon 62
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Expressway began in May 2016, the project’s former name, “Oregon 62: I-5 to Dutton Road,” was retired. “During the development process, project names are often focused on where the work begins and ends,” said Leaming. “Sometimes, as a project nears the construction stage and evolves, we need a new name that is more publicfriendly.”
Assistant District Manager Jeremiah Griffin said a new name is necessary to eliminate possible confusion with Crater Lake Highway and Crater Lake Avenue, which are both located in close proximity to the new expressway.
ODOT worked closely with emergency service providers during project development to address their operational needs. A gated entry at — ODOT Assistant District Manager The 2009 Oregon Justice Road will Jeremiah Griffin Legislature provide access approved the Jobs to and from the and Transportation Rogue Valley Act, which provided $100 million Expressway during emergencies. for the project’s first two phases, “The last thing we want is confusion including construction of a 4.5-mile, when response time is critical,” said four-lane expressway to alleviate safety and congestion issues along the Griffin. “Emergency service providers share our agency’s concern. We want existing Oregon 62 corridor. people to understand which road they When the project wraps up in early are traveling on when they call 911 2019, the new road becomes the for help.” Rogue Valley Expressway. ODOT
The last thing we “want is confusion
when response time is critical.
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Q
&
A
with
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When was the last time you drove through a work zone and thought about the people working alongside the road, the construction crews in hard hats and vests? They have names. They have families. Like all of us, they want to go home safely at the end of their shift. And that depends on you. We interviewed three employees from Knife River Materials of Central Point, the prime contractor on the $120 million Oregon 62 Expressway project that increases capacity and improves safety for commercial freight, tourism and commuters from Medford to destinations east. Donnie Easter, 38, is a foreman. Joshua Rapp, 36, is a project manager and estimator. Sean McClafferty, 59, is a field superintendent. These three gentlemen graciously agreed to be our cover models and share their personal stories with our readers. It is our hope as you learn more about Donnie, Joshua and Sean, you consider the many construction workers who live in the Rogue Valley and travel through their work zones with more care and kindness. story continued on page 16
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Q&A Q: Who or what is the reason you get up each morning and do this job? I wake up every day to go to work so I can provide for my family.
DONNIE
Q: What’s one thing people need to know about highway construction work? A couple things I would like the public to understand is that with our job we often perform work at night in an effort not to affect the public traffic flow during daytime hours. So, as it may be an inconvenience on your commute as you drive through any work zone, take just a second to think about how fast you are driving and ask yourself, “Would I drive at the same speed if it were my loved ones out there working?” Q: What’s an unusual experience with the public you’ve had in this job? We see many unusual things on our job sites, but the one that stands out is watching a police chase. As the driver was trying to elude the officer, he drove into our work zone, and when he realized that there was no way through, he jumped out of his car and ran on foot. The car was still moving, and it crashed into the side of my truck. The police were able to chase him down. Ultimately, the driver was arrested. Q: How do you enjoy your free time? Usually, you can find me helping with my kids’ various sports and activities. From football to marching band, it definitely keeps us busy. Being involved and helping our children is what I look forward to during the day. Q: What do you like most about the Rogue Valley? I was born and raised in the Rogue Valley. It is easy to take for granted our outdoors. No matter what outdoor adventure you are looking for, it is only a short drive away.
Q: Who or what is the reason you get up each morning and do this job? My wife, Jennifer, and my four kids, Dylan, Chase, Rylee and Asthyn.
JOSHUA
Q: What’s one thing people need to know about highway construction work? Highway and road construction work is challenging, ever-changing and often dangerous. The people under the hardhats and behind the vests are hard-working, caring members of our community who show up each day and give it their best. It is our responsibility as a community, both workers and public, to ensure that everyone is kept safe. Q: What’s an unusual experience with the public you’ve had in this job? One time, I noticed a sedan driving upon a large dirt berm not intended for vehicle traffic. When I arrived at the vehicle to stop them, the two passengers said their phone’s mapping app was showing this berm as the route to a winery. They ignored the many barrels, barricades and signs, and chose to obey the phone’s directions, which took them on a dangerous and nearly impassable path. Q: How do you enjoy your free time? My children are active in sports and other activities that keep us pretty busy. We love how the community rallies around our youth. We also love to hike around Southern Oregon and travel whenever we can. Q: What do you like most about the Rogue Valley? The Rogue Valley is the only place that will ever be home to me. I had the opportunity to experience much of the world through the military and was stationed several places far from here. Every time I returned, I was reminded why this valley is so special. I cannot think of a better place on earth to raise my children.
Q: Who or what is the reason you get up each morning and do this job? Providing for my family’s future is the biggest reason I go to work each day.
SEAN
Q: What’s one thing people need to know about highway construction work? We work hard and long hours to impact people the least, many times through the night while they sleep. We take pride in knowing our finished project makes their lives and commutes safer, more convenient and more appealing. Q: What’s an unusual experience with the public you’ve had in this job? It’s the kind word or thank you — coming from a pedestrian or a motorist who is looking forward to our finished project — that’s most unusual but gratefully appreciated. Q: How do you enjoy your free time? I spend my free time having barbecues with my family, going on fishing trips at the coast, or enjoying local outdoor excursions with my wife. Q: What do you like most about the Rogue Valley? Take a 10-minute drive in any direction, and the Rogue Valley has so much to offer in outdoor activities and beauty.
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Caveman Bridge story continued from page 7
Advancing the schedule “Instead of the anticipated 12 fullnight closures to the bridge, the contractor has been able to drive the schedule needing only two fullnight closures,” said ODOT Project Coordinator Todd Snyder. “Those closures occurred in September, so they could apply the new polymer bridge deck.” Full speed ahead is typical of the HP Civil Inc. approach to project scheduling. The contractor finds different ways to complete work while keeping the bridge, sometimes just a single lane, open during the night. The project design team expected full-night closures were necessary for
the overhead pressure washing and a necessary, deep, and long excavation for a north side bridge joint. HP Civil Inc. completed both quickly, at night and under traffic. “The project’s construction schedule was designed to reduce impacts to businesses and travelers as well as support the community events vital to Grants Pass,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. “HP Civil Inc. has taken that commitment to a whole new level. They’re simply awesome.” For the remainder of this year, bridge repair work includes continuing the skim coat under the deck and then sealing that new coating.
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Ashland-Area Projects miles south of the current location that is under construction.
Rest area and welcome center Looking east from Interstate 5, south of Ashland, travelers see foundations set and walls going up for the I-5: Safety Rest Area and Welcome Center project. Prime contractor Adroit Construction of Ashland began work this summer on the Cascadia-themed facility. Building construction on the welcome center and rest area facilities will continue through spring 2019.
Talent-Ashland improvements Construction work wraps up later this month on the $5.4 million highway improvement project designed to enhance safety and livability along Oregon 99 from Talent south to Ashland.
Prime contractor Knife River Materials of Central Point has two distinct work areas. From Rapp Road to Creel Road in Talent, highway enhancements include new storm drain, curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lanes and centerturn lanes. South of Creel Road to the Ashland city limits, highway enhancements include a new center-turn lane and wider shoulders for bicyclists to improve safety as well as paving and restriping — Travel Oregon CEO travel lanes to Todd Davidson accommodate the new lane configuration.
Building construction is the project’s second phase. The first phase entailed building the I-5 ramps and roadway in and out of the facility. When complete, Oregon Travel Experience and Travel Oregon will operate the facility to serve I-5 travelers who just crossed the OregonCalifornia border.
This new facility “ will help enhance
and inspire the journey of those returning to oregon or visiting our state for the first time.
“This new facility will help enhance and inspire the journey of those returning to Oregon or visiting our state for the first time,” said Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson.
”
The new facility is open to all traffic except commercial trucks. ODOT built new restroom facilities for the trucking industry at the Ashland Port of Entry, located between Ashland I-5 Exits 14 and 19. ODOT closed the old rest area in 1997 for public safety following a series of commercial truck crashes within the rest area, which was located on a steep Siskiyou Pass grade roughly two
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The city of Talent contributed $400,000 to the project, which will allow for a safer roadway for all users of the area between Talent and Ashland. “We’re upgrading the roadway and accommodating vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians as well as making Oregon 99 safer for residents and business customers who need to make a left turn,’ said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming.
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Jeremiah Griffin For most people, 16 years of responding to emergencies — 1 a.m. phone calls for winter snowstorms, summer wildfires, or the every-day-ofthe-year vehicle crash that can bring Interstate 5 to a screeching halt — would be just about enough. But not for Jeremiah Griffin.
“Most people don’t know his job requires an absolute commitment to be available,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. “Every so often, that means working around the clock. He’ll work past midnight and then come back early the next morning.”
“I like this job,” said Griffin. “I never know what the next call might be, what each day might bring.”
Rogue Valley roots
Griffin serves as ODOT’s Assistant District Manager for the Rogue Valley, a role he took on in 2010 after working six years as a dispatcher for ODOT and Jackson County 911. His current responsibilities include managing a team of nine dispatchers, who are co-located with the Oregon State Police in Central Point.
Griffin, 41, grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from South Medford. Graduation night 1995 was particularly auspicious. He met Becky, a North Medford student, at their schools’ combined graduation night party hosted by the YMCA. They married in 1999 and started a family in Medford. When Griffin is not spending time with his family or responding to incidents, he also helps
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Jeremiah Griffin
our local partners, working together for the public,” said Griffin.
coach the North Medford Track and Field team, another calling which he has served 20 seasons and counting. “My phone is almost never off,” said Griffin, acknowledging the difficulty of balancing his Incident Response duties with family and personal life. “Last month, I was home making dinner when my phone rang. CalTrans wanted to close I-5 in Ashland because of wildfire. For the next three hours, I was on the phone, coordinating with fire command, the California Highway Patrol, and our other emergency service partners.” As ODOT’s Assistant District Manager, Griffin oversees regional emergency management and traffic incident programs. He serves as liaison to other emergency response agencies. He’s a member of the Rogue Valley Traffic Incident Management team, an assembly of public and private entities including OSP, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Medford, Mercy Flights Incorporated and regional tow companies. “I’m truly representative of a larger team that includes our agency and
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For the last two years, Griffin has led the regional traffic control team for the County Crossings Music Festival. “Everyone knows Jeremiah, and he’s considered the go-to guy for regional traffic control issues in southern Oregon,” said Jackson County Roads and Parks Director John Vial. “His understanding of traffic control and his collaborative leadership style makes him a perfect fit, especially when things get ugly. He is a natural leader people enjoy working with.” Wildfires This summer, most big events involved firefighting efforts as wildfires closed I-5 and other highways throughout Oregon and California. “A lot of folks think winter is our busiest time, but we are heavily involved assisting emergency services during the summer travel season and wildfires,” said Griffin. The wildfires forced ODOT to cancel paving jobs, delay ditch cleaning,
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and shoulder rehabilitation, and shelve other maintenance activities. Meanwhile, ODOT loaned water trucks and drivers to the Oregon Department of Forestry and aided other firefighting agencies. “This past summer was as busy as I’ve ever seen it,” said Griffin. “We’re not firefighting, but we’re providing water and supporting them with our equipment. Our Grants Pass maintenance crew has spent a good amount of the past two months assisting firefighting operations.” Griffin emphasized the importance of weekly, monthly and yearly work plans for the maintenance teams, especially as ODOT becomes more and more reactive during summertime, whether the cause is wildfires or traffic crashes. Winter preparations According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, winter solstice arrives December 21, though Griffin’s preparations for winter operations are already underway. ODOT maintenance crews are already gearing up for the challenges they will face when the first winter storm arrives in the Rogue Valley. The agency’s goal of maintaining safe, open highways remains the same regardless of the season. And, with every technological and operational improvement, so grows the public’s expectation for faster and more efficient incident response. “We’re aware of a higher level of public expectation driven by smartphones, social media, and TripCheck,” said Griffin. “We’ve also developed a better understanding of a 20-minute lane closure and what it does, not only to our regular maintenance operations, but also how it amplifies the risk of a secondary crash, which places emergency
responders in greater danger.” Creative solutions While Siskiyou Pass (4,310’) features the highest elevation along the I-5 corridor, the bigger challenge for winter maintenance operations is the 15-mile stretch that includes Sexton Pass (1,960’), Smith Hill Pass (1,730’) and Stage Pass (1,830’). “Our resources are stretched over 15 miles versus 11 miles on Siskiyou Pass,” said Griffin. “That means plow cycle times are longer. And it means travelers often encounter different weather conditions on each pass.” ODOT continues to modify one-ton trucks with plows to manage snow on secondary highways in the Rogue Valley, which allows maintenance crews to take larger equipment onto the I-5 mountain passes north of Grants Pass. “We’re being more creative,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “We’re managing our equipment better and continuing to lean on our pusher trucks as our work horses on the mountain passes.” Pusher trucks are short, stalky tractors. They are equipped with a rubber pusher bar, extending beyond the front bumper, and a counterweight mounted atop the back axle, which enhances traction on icy sections and stability on steeper grades. The pusher truck can prod stalled commercial rigs weighing up to 80,000 pounds until they regain traction on their own. “Most of the time, we’re just giving a rig a nudge to help them get moving so they aren’t blocking traffic,” said Griffin. “Pusher trucks save money and time, often turning a two-hour towing situation into a two-minute pusher truck solution.”
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Bridge Rehabilitation Projects Travelers continue to encounter singlelane traffic conditions on the Barnett Road Bridge, which spans Interstate 5, as prime contractor Carter and Company continues deck repairs. “The bridge is actually two bridges,” said ODOT Project Coordinator Shawn Daw. The original I-5 overcrossing, built in 1962, is in the worse shape and requires more time to repair. According to Daw, the newer half, constructed in 1976, is in much better shape. The bridge deck is a patchwork of previous repairs. The repairs ultimately fail, requiring patching all over again. “The contractor will chain drag the bridge deck to find the bad spots, repair them, and then prepare the deck for a new overlay,” said ODOT Region Bridge Engineer Bob Grubbs. ODOT scheduled repair work for completion by the end of this month.
“Carter ran into some more extensive repairs on the northbound bridge deck than anticipated,” said Daw. Night repairs in the closed lane of traffic included jackhammering the poor concrete, cleaning the area, and filling and leveling it with quickhardening concrete. The next step involved applying a new sealant along with new striping. During the work, the City of Medford Police photo radar van was on site to help enforce construction speeds and increase safety in the work zone. Due to the tight quarters, the work zone speed limit was 40 mph with an advisory speed of 35 mph. The highest speed Medford Police recorded in the work zone was 90 mph. “It’s very well posted as you come into the work zone,” said Medford Police Sgt. Don Lane. “We are focused on traffic safety, not numbers.”
Medford viaduct
Scan this to see how close I-5 traffic comes to construction workers.
Weather-dependent deck repairs to the I-5 Medford Viaduct are complete for this year. Carter and Company will return next summer to complete repairs on the northbound lanes.
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Shady Cove’s Improvements Shady Cove leaders say the Oregon 62 improvement project reset the vision for the city and gave a new boost to business and tourism. “They feel safer,” said Mayor Tom Sanderson of his constituents three months after the project ended. “It helped reduce speeds through town. It’s better having crosswalks with lights. Sanderson reflected on the construction, its challenges to Shady Cove and how prime contractor HGC Inc. of White City and flaggers quickly adapted the construction during the off season to turn complaints into compliments. “It started out pretty tough,” said Sanderson. “The market was losing business because customers couldn’t get in. What’s great is you (ODOT) made adjustments...it’s really nice to get the compliments, and it’s making a difference in Shady Cove.” Prime contractor HGC, Inc. made the most of an unusually dry and mild Oregon winter to complete the $2.7 million enhancement project along Oregon 62. ODOT designed the project schedule to avoid the summer because tourism is vital to Shady Cove’s economy. Construction work began after Labor Day and wrapped
up ahead of schedule before Memorial Day Weekend. Oregon 62 is the main road through Shady Cove, and there are no parallel routes through the community. “As a real estate agent, I really appreciate curb appeal,” said businesswoman Jinny Pardee. “That’s what sells your home the second a prospective buyer comes in. Shady Cove now has curb appeal.”
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Shady Cove’s Improvements
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Pardee said she recently showed property to a prospective new business from out of state and they were impressed with the new look.
vision shared years ago will help the community grow and make it more appealing and livable for generations to come.”
“I said you have to understand, we just got our new sidewalks,” said Pardee. “And they looked at me and said ‘Are you serious? You just now got sidewalks in the city of Shady Cove?’ so I was happy to share that.” Pardee said businesses were initially concerned about the amount of parking they might lose. In the end, she said it had little effect. Mayor Sanderson added that the new improvements will improve the tourism economy and help in the city’s goal of changing the community into a destination and not just a place to pass through on the way to Crater Lake. “The biggest thing I’m hearing from businesses is they think it’s good for business,” said Sanderson. “We’re excited to have this project complete, one the community urged us to build,” said ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson. “The
The project’s community enhancements include: ▪ New curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes on the Rogue River side of Oregon 62 from the Rogue River Bridge to the north side of Chase Bank. ▪ New sidewalks from Chaparral Drive north to Cleveland Street. ▪ New crosswalks and rapid flashing beacons north of Rogue River Drive and between Chaparral Drive and Williams Lane. ▪ New left turn lane on Oregon 62 from the Rogue River Bridge to Williams Lane. ▪ New right turn lane with sidewalks from Rogue River Drive onto southbound Oregon 62.
Scan this to see more from Mayor Tom Sanderson and Jinny Pardee.
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October 5, 2018
odotmovingahead.com
GLASS . . . It’s what we do! Full Service Glass Shop Since 1954
541-773-1058 Open Mon – Fri 8 to 5 • CCB#168846 229 South Front Street, Downtown Medford A division of BetterView LLC • farrellsglass.com