A Mail Tribune Advertising Department publication
ODOT
October
2017
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Siskiyou Rest Area
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Oregon 62 Expressway
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Governor Brown
Caveman Bridge
Shady Cove
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SECOND CONSTRUCTION STAGE
NEARS FOR I-5 REST AREA
The second stage of construction for the new I-5 Siskiyou Rest Area and Welcome Center is slated to begin later this year. The facility, located two miles south of Ashland, is scheduled for completion in late 2018.
will provide water for landscaping. Prime contractor Wildish Standard Paving of Eugene provided earthwork, paving and drainage. First stage work included the grading and paving of the on- and off-ramps and the parking lot.
The project’s second stage entails construction of Cascadia-themed We’ve provided welcome center and “The wet weather rest area buildings. emergency service this past winter The gateway theme access to the facility and spring for visitors will be delayed the both via the service environmentally construction friendly with a road as well as at an schedule,” said sustainable ethic I-5 crossover. ODOT Project that complements the — Tim Fletcher, ODOT Project Manager Manager Tim Welcome to Oregon Fletcher. “However, sign at the California the contractor was able border and interchange to get back on the grade in aesthetics constructed at Ashland Exits late May and should finish up the 14 and 19. first stage of the project this fall.”
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The city of Ashland will provide potable water and sewer service to the facility. The Talent Irrigation District
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The contractor also built a service road east of the Crowson Road I-5
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overpass that will be used to deliver materials during construction and, later, for daily operational needs, including staff and deliveries, and emergency service vehicles.
Commercial trucks will not be permitted to stop at the new rest area. Restroom facilities were constructed at the Ashland Port of Entry, located between Ashland Exits 14 and 19.
“We’ve provided emergency service access to the facility both via the service road as well as at an I-5 crossover,” said Fletcher.
“Another major safety improvement accomplished with this project is separating restroom facilities for commercial trucks and the general public,” said Fletcher.
Safety Improvements The old rest area, located on a steep Siskiyou Pass grade two miles south of the current project, was closed in 1997 for public safety following a series of commercial truck crashes in the facility. Construction on the new rest area and welcome center began in November 2015.
When complete, the facility will be managed by the Oregon Travel Experience, serving northbound I-5 travelers out of California. The Oregon Travel Experience currently operates 29 rest areas at 17 locations around the state in addition to 10 travel information centers along Oregon’s most heavily used highways.
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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
EDITORIAL DIRECTORS Jared Castle, 541-957-3656 jared.b.castle@odot.state.or.us
CONTRIBUTORS Brian Fitz-Gerald Design & Illustration
Gary Leaming, 541-774-6388 gary.w.leaming@odot.state.or.us
Steve Johnson Photography
ADVERTISING Athena Fliegel, 541-776-4385 afliegel@mailtribune.com
Shelley Snow, Shonna Zimmermann 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.
Crack of Doom repaired on Greensprings Highway
Winter slide activity on Oregon 66 is as common in winter as snow on the Siskiyous for Greensprings residents like Diarmuid McGuire. However, last spring near milepost 12, McGuire saw something much more ominous. This crack in the highway was different. The asphalt ledge was steeper and dropping more with each day.
Praise from the Greensprings
“We’ve driven up and down this mountain since 1988,” said McGuire, owner of the Green Springs Inn & Cabins. “That section has creeped downhill for all these years but I have never seen it move so fast.” Winter slide activity regularly leads to cracks along the Greensprings Highway. ODOT regularly uses asphalt patches when stretches of dry weather arrive in the spring. At milepost 12, four asphalt patches, at a cost exceeding $200,000, were applied before Memorial Day weekend. “The wet weather this past winter and spring was just too much for our patches,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “We monitored the highway after each patch but it became clear the slide activity was just too severe. Locals took to calling the slide the ‘Crack of Doom.’”
Thank you so much for the beautiful repair of Highway 66. You folks did a spectacular job. — Steve B.
The road looks great and you did a wonderful job keeping us neighbors informed during the process. Also did a great job keeping Tyler Creek dust to a minimum. Thanks for getting the job done! — Alison K.
I commend you and your staff for the way you handled this task from the moment it became clear it had to be done this summer. As chair of the Pinehurst School District Board, I appreciate the job was done with the least amount of delay for the students to ride the Ashland school bus and for the staff of our district who live in Ashland and drive to Pinehurst every school day. — Sam A.
The location is a perennial headache on the historic Greensprings Highway odotmovingahead.com
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near the Cascade summit. ODOT maintenance crews return each spring and summer to begin repairs, only to see it break away the following winter. This highway closed for two weeks in August 2006 for slide repairs and the replacement of a nearby six-foot culvert that served as a major collector of storm run-off. The slide activity required a temporary highway closure while a larger culvert was installed and the roadbed was raised. In 2012, ODOT geologists and contract drillers bored deep holes to place monitoring instruments that determine not only what’s going on under the surface but also what kind of fix is needed to repair the slide.
Marmon advanced the project. “We had hoped to bundle the repair to save money,” said Marmon, “but we won’t risk the Greensprings Highway sliding off the mountain in the meantime.” Once repair plans advanced, ODOT expedited the right of way process to secure a single parcel of land necessary to build a large rock buttress and a new drainage system. The highway failed again after Memorial Day weekend, reducing traffic to a single lane controlled by a temporary signal until a contractor could be hired to begin repair work.
Crack of Doom ODOT had begun drawing up plans for a major repair project in 2018, looking to bundle with another slide repair project on the Old Siskiyou Highway (Oregon 273). Meanwhile, McGuire and other local residents petitioned the agency to advance the project schedule.
According to Marmon, the month of August was the ideal time, both before the school year resumed and late enough in the summer to ensure the water springs beneath the highway were dry. A public meeting with the Greensprings community weighed other concerns, including the effect of a lengthy detour on tourism and recreational interests as well as potential wildfire response. Agreement resulted in a plan to complete the repair work in August with completion before Labor Day.
“We can work around an outage but an unplanned and indefinite road closure would be very difficult for our community,” McGuire wrote to Marmon.
Tyler Creek Road Many residents living along the Greensprings commute daily into the Rogue Valley. The signed detour — Dead Indian Memorial and Hyatt-Prairie Roads
“The monitors give us a picture of the slide’s vertical and horizontal shifts,” said Marmon.
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— extended the trip an hour longer, so locals used Tyler Creek Road as a shortcut. ODOT’s outreach materials and detour map made no mention of the unpaved route, which features steep slopes and sharp turns with no guardrail. Although the drive time was roughly the same as the official detour, Tyler Creek Road saw increased traffic from local drivers. Anticipating this, ODOT paid Jackson County to grade and oil the road for dust before, during and after the slide repair project. August Construction Summer is typically the worst time to bid a road construction project. Contractors usually have full schedules lined up. Fortunately, one nearby contractor was available when the slide repair project was advertised. The winning bidder, Suulutaaq Construction, was working a project
at nearby Hyatt Lake. The company is based in Alaska with offices along the West Coast. “Their construction manager lives on the Greensprings,” said Marmon. “We were fortunate to have a company so familiar with the area.” The highway closed on August 3. Construction began immediately with a goal to open at least a single lane of traffic by Sept. 1. Much of the roadway required excavation down to bedrock. Both lanes, newly paved, reopened to traffic on Sept. 1. “We had a queue of recreational traffic — travel trailers and campers — ready to go when we reopened at 5 p.m.,” said Marmon. “It felt good to deliver on our promise.”
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Pilot Success Expands Salt Use
Sizable reductions in the rate of crashes and chain restrictions on the Siskiyou Pass during a five-year pilot project are leading to an expansion of salt use along Interstate 5 in southern Oregon from the California border to north of Canyonville. “This will mean fewer delays and chain requirements on the I-5 corridor, especially over the Sexton, Smith and Stage mountain passes north of Grants Pass and Canyon Mountain further to the north,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “We learned we can keep people safer and traffic moving smoother by having that additional resource available in our winter tool box. “The pilot showed we improved safety, reduced crashes and delays, and reduced winter maintenance costs for sand and liquid deicer.” To accommodate expanded salt use, ODOT is constructing a salt shed in Hugo near I-5 that can meet the needs from Grants Pass to Canyonville. ODOT has an existing agreement with Caltrans to use salt from that agency’s facility in Hilt.
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Pilot Results In 2012, ODOT began a pilot in two locations, I-5 at Siskiyou Pass and U.S. 95 between Nevada and Idaho. The five-year study results on the Siskiyou Pass showed the average crash rate fell 60 percent and the number of chain restrictions fell 40 percent. “The pilot’s success combined with last winter’s success in the Willamette Valley and Portland metro area during the hardest storms proved salt can be used as a strategic tool,” said Marmon. The pilot also assessed environmental impacts to nearby stream and soils in coordination with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Fish and Wildlife and other agencies. “Compared with states in the Midwest, Washington, California and now Oregon use a fraction of the salt applied in colder states,” said Marmon. “We’ve learned best practices from Caltrans and we will continue to monitor salt use closely.”
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Winter Maintenance Practices Winter maintenance practices include plowing, sanding and applying winter anti-icing liquid and salt. The combination of practices used may vary to accommodate the different climate, traffic, and storm conditions. ODOT’s goal is to improve road conditions during and after a storm. However, it is always up to the motorist to drive according to conditions.
For up-to-date travel conditions visit www.TripCheck.com, ODOT’s travel information website.
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Oregon 62 Expressway project reaches halfway mark With several construction milestones achieved this past summer, the Oregon 62 Expressway project reached the halfway point last month as the second construction season winds down.
Next Stage The new four-lane expressway road surface will take shape later this month as prime contractor Knife River Materials begins the first concrete pour.
The $120 million 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.
Asphalt requires warmer temperatures and a specific paving window to meet ODOT specifications. Concrete can be poured during more moderate temperatures so long as the temperature stays above freezing.
The project builds a 4.5-mile, fourlane expressway that will connect near Interstate 5 Exit 30 and diverge from the Crater Lake Highway southeast of the Medford Airport. The new expressway will extend north, cross over Coker Butte and Vilas Roads via an overpass, and connect at a signalized intersection with the existing highway near Corey Road.
“We expect the concrete expressway will perform well with our southern Oregon weather,” said ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson. “We should get decades of maintenance-free use from the concrete.”
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Last month, the contractor set 14 beams across the directional interchange at the south end of
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the project. According to Knife River Materials Project Manager Tyler Douglas, the plan is to place westbound traffic from Delta Waters Road to Poplar Drive onto the new bridge by year end. Summer Milestones This past summer, Prime contractor Knife River Materials: • Completed the new Coker Butte Road crossing, opening traffic to International Way and the properties located on the eastern side of the Medford Airport; • Realigned Crater Lake Avenue at the project’s north end with a new outlet at Fowler Lane; and • Built new culverts at North and South Swanson Creeks. A legion of heavy equipment is busy on the main road alignments north and south of Vilas Road where a new overpass is being constructed. Douglas said he anticipates setting beams across Vilas Road by November. “We’re in a race now to get as much dirt work accomplished before the wet season,” said Douglas. For the most part, Crater Lake Highway travel lanes have not been affected by the construction work and the little that has affected
traffic was limited to the nighttime schedules. Construction staging has required some lane restrictions, including the eastbound lane near the Delta Waters Road intersection and the eastbound lane across from Fred Meyer on Oregon 62.
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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
Commerce Dr Lear Way
y
14
Cardinal Ave
11 Owen Dr 12
Delta Waters Rd
13
Wh
Delta Waters Rd
ittl
eR
d
Skypark Dr LANDMARKS
Two lanes of Oregon 62
each direction, from
Bullock Rd
must remain open in
Delta Waters
Skypark Dr
6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and
Friday through Sunday.
Crater Lake Ave
Hilton Ave
Whittle Rd
from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Roadways Open During Construction
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ENHANCEMENT PROJECT ON
OREGON 99 MOVED TO 2018
Prime contractor Knife River Materials rescheduled the paving work on Oregon 99 between Talent and Ashland to summer 2018 due to a busier-than-normal construction schedule this season. Meanwhile, utility relocation work in the corridor from Rapp Road to Creel Road continues.
but also livability and economic development potential for Talent.” Mayor Stricker said the urban improvements will contribute to a strong business corridor by providing better visibility for business and better access to driveways.
The section of Oregon 99 from South Valley View to Jackson Road will remain in its current fivelane configuration because of the weave-andmerge traffic that accesses Oregon 99, not just Interstate 5, nearby safety but businesses and also livability the Bear Creek Greenway. and economic
Oregon 99 will be paved and restriped next summer, part of the $5.4 million project to enhance the highway from Rapp Road south It’s to Ashland.
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Planned urban improvements from Rapp development Road to Creel However, a new potential Road include bike lane will be new curb, for Talent. added from South gutters, sidewalks, — Darby Strickler, Talent City Mayor Valley View to Jackson bike lanes and Road, a benefit for local driveways. The city riders who use the highway of Talent is contributing to connect to the Bear Creek $400,000 to the project. Plans Greenway near South Valley View now call for all of the construction Road. work to be completed in 2018.
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“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
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“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 ODOT Project Leader Richard Randleman.
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Gov. Kate Brown holds up a copy of the state’s $5.3 billion transportation bill during her Medford stop on a five-city transportation tour in August. Local elected officials and transportation partners attended the event, including RVTD General Manager Julie Brown and Oregon Rep. Alan DeBoer, who are also pictured.
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A Gift to our Community
by Colene Martin, President-CEO of the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce Caveman Bridge is a landscape structure that local businesses and individuals have proudly used as a backdrop for photos and logos for 86 years. You will find it on the City Seal as well as center stage in the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce logo. The bridge was built in 1931 by legendary bridge builder Conde McCullough and is considered one of Oregon’s 30 significant bridges because of its historic architectural style.
Those who have lived in our community a long time have watched Caveman Bridge collect cracks, age spots, and brighter, inconsistent repair patches in various places. For the next 17 months, our historic landmark will receive In just 17 a much-needed months, we will facelift: cracks celebrate with will be filled in the monumental tremendous pride a arches, the beautiful newly-refurbished concrete railing will landmark. be replaced, and new pavement and new lighting will be added.
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First introduced as the Gateway to the Redwoods and the Oregon Caves, the Caveman Bridge is still the gateway to the Oregon and California coasts. For those living in Grants Pass and Josephine County, crossing the
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550-foot-long bridge is part of our everyday routine. It takes us home, to friends or to a local business.
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Contractors will work mostly at night to limit the traffic impact. ODOT is limiting the lane closures as much as possible, accommodating large community events scheduled throughout the year. However, the
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daily reality will be slower-moving traffic and single-lane closures. Being prepared will aid reducing your stress while crossing the bridge. If your normal commute includes crossing the bridge during the evening, consider an alternate route that will allow you to get where you need to be safely and on time. Let’s be courteous and gracious community hosts to the construction workers. Let them know we appreciate their efforts and respect their work. It feels like we are receiving a gift to our community. We must be patient until we can unveil the fresh, new look for our iconic Caveman Bridge. In just 17 months, we will celebrate with
tremendous pride a newly-refurbished landmark. Let’s keep that treasured moment in our minds as we weather the minor daily inconveniences that come with a work zone. Use your imagination and help us start planning the celebration of our beautiful Caveman Bridge.
About Colene Martin For the past six years, Colene Martin has served her community as the President/CEO of The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, Colene and her husband, Ron, owned a Grants Pass retail business for 27 years.
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caveman bridge Caveman Bridge whatevertheurlis.com REHABILITATION
BEGINS IN GRANTS PASS ODOT launched its $5.3 million rehabilitation project in Grants Pass last month with a stated goal to return Caveman Bridge to its original glory. The rehabilitation project is the first major upgrade of the Caveman Bridge since its construction in 1931. Designed by famed Oregon bridge designer Conde McCullough, the bridge is a critical link in Grants Pass, spanning the Rogue River.
Caveman Bridge serves as the gateway to the Redwood Empire of southwest Oregon and northern California. The historic gateway sign on the north side of the bridge will also undergo rehabilitation by the city of Grants Pass. Prime contractor HP Civil Inc. of Stayton has established a work area on the south end of the bridge as well as a work bridge under the 86-year-old historic structure. The work bridge provides access
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to the underside of the concrete bridge for the first phase of the rehabilitation project.
beginning of full-night closures when the rehabilitation work transitions from under the bridge.”
Construction work that affects For the remainder of this year, the traffic will involve single-lane contractor will repair any night closures from exposed steel in the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. A concrete beneath total of 12 fullthe bridge. To Caveman night closures, strengthen Bridge is an from 9 p.m. until the structure, important 6:30 a.m., will construction be scheduled as workers will inject connection for needed during the cracks with the city and the two-year epoxy as well as its identity project. Special install titanium project provisions pins. The bridge — Colene Martin, President- CEO of the Grants Pass and Josephine County scheduled no-work will also receive a Chamber of Commerce weekends to avoid thorough washing. conflicts with annual “The contractor’s schedule celebrations and other key has them below the bridge through community events. the winter and then atop the structure in early 2018,” said ODOT Project Development The city of Grants Pass, Chamber Project Manager Tim Fletcher. “The community will begin to experience of Commerce and adjacent businesses partnered with ODOT in single-lane night closures and the
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v Project Highlights • Repair sections of cracked concrete, exposed rebar and failed joints along the nearly 550-foot structure. • Pressure wash the bridge and recapture all water. • Repair bridge deck delamination by grinding off the existing asphalt cap and replacing it with a stronger, premixed polymer concrete. project development. Information collected from that collaboration in addition to traffic data collected by ODOT showed that any construction-related lane closures would quickly cause traffic — nearly 19,000 vehicles daily — to back up through the city. A March open house showcased the needed bridge improvements and detailed construction impacts to traffic and nearby businesses. An outstanding turnout by the community included a special appearance by the famed Oregon Caveman Club of Grants Pass, a boisterous group of civic boosters formed in 1922. “Caveman Bridge is an important connection for the city and its identity,” said Colene Martin, President-CEO of the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce. “We know it will take some time to complete and have some impacts but in the end, it will all be worth it.”
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• Replace the bridge rail, maintaining its unique aesthetic while meeting today’s safety standards. • Add new lighting that maintains the character of the bridge’s street lights. New lighting will mirror the bridge’s existing historic lamps. The city of Grants Pass is funding the addition of four additional lights for a total of eight on the bridge. The old decorative rail will be cut from the bridge. Those sections that are intact afterward will be available for sale to the public by HP Civil Inc.
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$2.7 million community enhancement project underway in Shady Cove With the summer tourism season and higher traffic volumes now in the rear view mirror, construction work has shifted into high gear on a $2.7 million community enhancement project along Oregon 62 in Shady Cove with sights set on completion in summer 2018. Prep work by utility contractors began this past summer to move phone, power and gas lines out of the way of the construction project. “Utility companies have been working overtime, even Saturdays, to get the area prepared for the prime contractor, HGC Inc. of White City,” said ODOT Inspector Shawn Daw. “Our goal is to be finished and ready for the tourist season in summer 2018.” In addition to the aforementioned utility work, a private water company is installing a water main on the highway right of way that will serve Shady Cove.
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The Oregon 62 paving project features roadway safety improvements and enhancements along the Shady Cove business corridor that were proposed by the city. Project improvements include new curb, gutter and sidewalks as well as bike lanes through the commercial corridor from the Rogue River Bridge north to the Shady Cove School at Cleveland Street. Project Highlights • 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; • 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;
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• 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.
River Drive north to Cleveland Street. The project schedule calls for major construction work to be completed by the end of May 2018. Severe winter weather could push that completion date into June.
Although new sidewalks were The north end of initially planned between the community Rogue River Drive and enhancement Chaparrel Drive, Utility companies project ends at costs and business Cleveland Street, concerns over have been working where almost lost parking overtime, even 300 students in front of the Saturdays, to get are educated older storefronts at Shady Cove proved the area prepared School. Principal insurmountable. for the prime Amy Isackson said contractor Project that although most specifications call for — Shawn Daw, ODOT Inspector students attend school the contractor to finish without walking along the construction on the river highway, the new sidewalks side of the project, from the Rogue and bike lanes will benefit everyone River Bridge north to Heather in the community. Lane, by December 15. HGC will “I’m excited it’s going to get built,” then transition to the west side of said Isackson. Oregon 62 and work from Rogue
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Project updates are provided online at www.ShadyCoveImprovements.org.
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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