Moving Ahead - Spring 2015

A Mail Tribune Advertising Department publication

ODOT

10 2015 April

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ON OUR COVER OReGO, the nation’s first operational program that charges motorists directly for their road use, will serve as a replacement for the gas tax.

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 Dena DeRose, (541) 776-4439 dderose@mailtribune.com

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ion

Merlin Interchange Five-day detour required for safety improvements

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Oregon 62 Expressway Further design work delays construction bid date

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OreGO launches July 1 Fair, sustainable funding solution to replace Oregon’s gas tax

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Fern Valley Interchange New road connections built as work continues on I-5 bridge

ON PAGE 3 ODOT Wetlands Specialist Paul Benton tends to the agency’s conservation bank, permanently protected land managed for endangered, threatened, and other at-risk species.

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CONTRIBUTORS Bret Jackson Publication Supervisor Steve Johnson Photography Brian Fitz-Gerald Illustration Jared Castle, Gary Leaming Writing Sally Ridenour, Shelley Snow Editing

This feature publication is produced separately from the Mail Tribune’s newspaper editorial department. All content is provided or 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 available upon request.

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December 12, 2014

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IMPROVEMENT PROJECT BEGINS ON

Redwood Highway

A 15-mile section of Redwood Highway (U.S. 199), spanning from Slate Creek Road to south of Cave Junction, is the focus of a pavement improvement project that began construction earlier this week.

Prime contractor Oregon Mainline Paving of McMinnville will put down new pavement, add rumble strips to the center line and fresh stripes along the entire stretch of highway.

“Redwood Highway between Grants Pass and Cave Junction has a higherthan-normal rate of drivers who simply run off the road,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “This project should help alert drivers to keep it between the lines.”

ODOT Project Manager Ted Paselk said the work is straight forward.

“The contractor will do grind in-lays and overlays, so it will be from each edge of pavement,” said Paselk.

The $4.9 million project also incorporates Cave Junction’s lane conversion project, which has been in development for the past year.

The lane conversion calls for converting the number of through traffic lanes from four to three, including a two-way, left turn lane.

The design adds bicycle lanes on both sides of the Redwood Highway and improves pedestrian access along a half-mile section in the city limits.

The genesis of the lane conversion design came about during Cave Junction’s Transportation System Plan update. Cave Junction began its TSP update after receiving a Transportation and Growth Management planning grant from ODOT.

April 10, 2015

Cave Junction’s TSP update identified several issues of concern to local citizens and businesses, primarily traffic speed and safety, and motorists who pass within the city limits.

According to Cave Junction City Recorder Ryan Nolan, the biggest issues the city addressed involved traffic and pedestrian safety.

“Our biggest traffic complaint is speeding through town,” said Nolan.

“We appreciate the ways ODOT has worked with us to help slow traffic down.”

ODOT worked with Cave Junction to identify potential improvements that would address local traffic concerns.

After examining traffic patterns, volumes and collisions, Cave Junction and ODOT determined that a lane conversion would solve a lot of problems.

“Changing this to a three-lane section with a center turn refuge will lower the crash rate,” said ODOT Traffic Engineer Dan Dorrell. “It will also make downtown Cave Junction more livable, and safer for cyclists and pedestrians.”

The city is leading the discussion with the public. City staff hosted open houses and shared the design concepts at public art walks and city council meetings.

“TGM grants provide money to help local governments plan for their future

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transportation needs,” said ODOT Planner John McDonald. “The TSP is even more beneficial when there is a project scheduled for construction within the next few years. Cave Junction is working with ODOT to make that project better for everyone.”

“The lane conversion design is a win for all,” said McDonald. “Businesses will have improved access and drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians will all reap the travel and safety benefits.”

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NEW TRAFFIC CAMERAS GO LIVE Several new Tripcheck cameras in southern Oregon are scheduled to go online. The new sites will also provide remote weather information.

“These are areas critical to our operations,” said ODOT Assistant District 8 Manager Jeremiah Griffin. “Not only will the public use these cameras, but the equipment will help us determine current road conditions, whether to send or concentrate our resources in a certain area.”

Three of the new camera facilities are on Interstate 5: at the top of Canyon Mountain (milepost 90), near Central Point Exit 33 and at Rice Hill (milepost 148). The fourth location under construction is on Oregon 62 at Union Creek (milepost 56). Prime contractor Tomco Electric of Bend is completing the $672,000 project.

The new TripCheck cameras will also help the National Weather Service.

“We definitely use them to verify snow levels in the Cascades and east of the mountains,” said Misty Duncan, meteorologist at the Medford National Weather Service office.

ODOT’s travel information website has been in operation since 2000.

Currently, there are more than 300 cameras in the TripCheck network, which includes live streaming and infrared cameras for night conditions. Most TripCheck cameras update every five minutes.

Partnership with Waze ODOT recently announced its partnership with Waze, the real-time crowdsourced navigation app powered by one of the world’s largest communities of drivers, via the Waze Connected Citizens Program. Designed as a twoway data share of publicly available traffic information, the Connected Citizens program promotes greater efficiency, deeper insights and safer roads for the state of Oregon.

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The mission of Waze Connected Citizens is to help Wazers, ODOT and citizens collaborate to improve their community and answer the question “What’s happening on our roads right

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now, and where?” The program promotes more efficient traffic monitoring by sharing crowdsourced incident reports from Waze drivers. Established as a two-way sharing of data, Waze

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receives input from ODOT’s TripCheck Traveler Information Portal. The publically available data is updated every two minutes and includes everything from construction and incident data to weather data and road reports. This information shows up on the Waze mobile app, helping travelers to use Oregon’s transportation system more safely and efficiently.

“Oregon already has a strong Waze community with major cities like Portland,” said Paige Fitzgerald, Connected Citizens Program manager at Waze. “We can now enhance the local map quality of Waze with data from ODOT like road closures and severe weather alerts, even in rural areas.”

The unique part of this agreement is not that ODOT shares information with Waze, but that Waze shares information with the department. Waze user-reported incidents, construction, congestion and weather are fed to

ODOT. The department is currently assessing how to filter the data to make it most useful and will eventually use it to enhance the display on TripCheck.

“We’re pretty excited about this twoway partnership,” said Galen McGill, ODOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Manager. “Citizen-supplied data will add to the eyes and ears of ODOT staff already out on the roads and highways. Waze users travel in places where we can’t have roadway sensors or cameras so it greatly enhances our ability to provide up to the minute and accurate traffic data to the public.”

To find out more about Connected Citizens visit http://waze.com/connectedcitizens. To download the free Waze app for iOS or Android, visit http://www.waze.com. Find out more information about ODOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems.

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Safety project to untangle backups at I-5 Exit 61 Northbound commuters who travel back and forth from Grants Pass to Merlin will trade a short-term inconvenience — a five-day detour for construction after Memorial Day Weekend — for a permanent solution to the long, afternoon backups so common at the northbound Interstate 5 These off-ramp at Exit 61.

Leaming said that commuters are likely to use Highland Avenue as the detour since it parallels I-5. However, the project’s official detour will direct travelers further north to Hugo Exit 66 and back south to Merlin.

“Commercial haulers will need to follow the official detour,” said Leaming. “Everyone else will find the path of least resistance.”

safety “improvements

will reduce the “We know closing the northbound frequency and off-ramp for five length of backups days will be a on the northbound During the five-day huge hassle,” detour, two lanes said ODOT Project Exit 61 off-ramp. will be built at the Information Specialist — ODOT Project Information end of the northbound Gary Leaming. “The Specialist Gary Leaming off-ramp. project team worked to find a time for the closure The construction work is part of a that would cause the least impact on $2.2 million project to make safety the business community, especially summer recreation businesses that rely improvements at the off-ramp and the local roadways. on the Rogue River.”

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Support from the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce, local emergency service providers and river rafting businesses were essential to designing the project schedule.

“June worked out best for the detour because it is right before school ends and just before the summer heat kicks in,” said Leaming.

“Merlin used to be a rural interchange but the higher traffic volumes now warrant a traffic signal,” said Leaming.

“These safety improvements will reduce the frequency and length of backups on the northbound Exit 61 off-ramp.”

JRT Construction LLC of Oakland, Oregon is the project’s prime contractor.

THE MERLIN INTERCHANGE PROJECT WILL: • Construct an additional westbound lane on Merlin Road between the offramp and Monument Drive; • Construct a right-turn lane on Merlin Road for Monument Drive; and • Install new traffic signals at the end of the Exit 61 northbound off-ramp.

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GO BY BIKE ROGUE VALLEY

By Edem Gómez, RVTD Planner The Rogue Valley is a great place to bike. Whether to get to work, school, shopping or just for fun, there are many opportunities to get around by bike. And spring is the perfect time to start exploring.

May is National Bike month and we are celebrating in the Rogue Valley with Go by Bike Week, May 11-16.

Go by Bike Week challenges you to take some of your trips by bike instead of by car and you’ll see how fun and rewarding biking can be.

Log your bike trips into DriveLessConnect.com, a free trip logging and carpool matching service, and you’ll automatically be entered to win prizes like gift cards, full set LED bike lights, and more. Go

by Bike Week is full of fun, free events.

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Join us for bike breakfast stations throughout the valley, bike socials, a bike rodeo, and the Family Fun Bike Ride on May 16 in Central Point.

The 2015 Family Fun Bike Rides are a series of free guided bike rides in Southern Oregon encouraging families and people of all ages to explore the Rogue Valley by bike. Join us for a ride near you!

2015 Family Fun Bike Rides All rides are 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

May 16: Central Point June 6: Ashland September 12: Grants Pass October 10: Medford For more information on Go by Bike Week or the Family Fun Bike Rides visit www.rvtd.org.

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SHADY COVE PROJECT rescheduled for 2018 A pavement overlay project in Shady Cove will see its construction schedule pushed back an additional year.

ODOT now targets 2018 for the start of work on Oregon 62.

The Oregon 62 overlay project will extend north from the Rogue River Bridge to Cleveland Street in Shady Cove.

In addition to a new roadway surface, the construction project will build a center turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks. The city of Shady Cove plans to install a new water line in the project area and a right turn lane on Rogue River Drive.

Anderson and ODOT Roadway Designer Brian Sheadel briefed the Shady Cove City Council on the latest project developments in March.

Hoping to make their community more attractive for residents and visitors alike, city leaders collaborated with ODOT to add enhancements to the project. Recreational motorists headed to the upper Rogue River travel through Shady Cove on Oregon 62.

“

The good news is that the project is fully funded and we’re confident we can deliver.

“Our project team thought it made sense to see if we could attach funds specifically targeted for bicyclists and pedestrians,” — ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. “The need ODOT Area Manager Art is there to keep people off Anderson also cited workload issues the highway and shoulder, especially caused by staffing cutbacks as another children walking to school. cause for the project’s delay.

Project planning began in 2012 “The good news is that the project with an initial scoping meeting and is fully funded and we’re confident briefing to the Shady Cove Chamber we can deliver,” said Anderson. “We of Commerce. ODOT has focused on anticipate all of the work can be keeping construction impacts to a completed in a single construction minimum not only for the businesses season.” but also for the project budget.

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OREGON 62 EXPRESSWAY PROJECT

Project team works design details

Anticipation is building for the official start of the $120 million Oregon 62 Expressway project, one of the largest transportation projects in southern Oregon history.

According to ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson, the project team is working on last-minute details for the Coker Butte crossing redesign that involves work with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.

“The right of way process is always the critical path to the project package,” said Anderson. “We anticipate getting this project advertised for construction bidders and underway later this year.”

Utility relocations along the Oregon 62 corridor have dominated much of the preparation work over the past year. Most of that work was completed at night to reduce impacts to traffic. Rogue Valley Sewer Service and other utility relocations are currently taking place on airport property, signaling the first phase of the construction project.

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“Utility work is still a construction zone with a definite work area where drivers need to pay attention,” said Senior Inspector Shawn Daw. Congestion and safety The Oregon 62 Expressway project is a multimodal solution that will increase capacity and improve safety along the corridor, a critical business connection for freight, tourism and commuters.

Unfortunately, the Crater Lake Highway (Oregon 62) exceeds capacity standards. Future growth is expected to significantly increase traffic volumes.

“Higher crash rates at corridor intersections, especially from I-5 to Delta Waters Road, are a safety concern,” said ODOT Public Information Officer Gary Leaming.

“Oregon 62 and Delta Waters Road is the busiest intersection in the entire southwest Oregon region. The traffic counts are higher than those at I-5 north of Medford.”

The multimodal project adds sidewalks and transit-related

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enhancements on the existing Oregon 62 corridor. The project will also build a four-lane access-controlled expressway that provides faster travel and improved safety within and through the region.

Bullock intersection to the north jug-handle to Biddle Road. That traffic from Biddle Road will change so that merging traffic will stop before it enters the westbound Oregon 62 lanes.

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The most challenging The 4.5-mile expressway Project staging segment during the will start with three is crucial to keep first construction lanes of eastbound phase will be located traffic at Poplar and traffic moving where traffic already Bullock Roads near and business runs heavy, between Fred Meyer. Through access open.

Poplar Drive and Delta traffic will turn left — ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher Waters Road. ODOT on a small directional plans to take advantage interchange located of a wide section of its own across from Whittle Road. right of way on the south side Traffic will then travel along a of the highway section. four-lane expressway on the east side of the Medford Airport, span over Vilas “Project staging is crucial to keep Road, and connect to the existing Crater Lake Highway near Corey Road. traffic moving and business access Traffic destined for commercial centers open,” said ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher. When it is on the heavilysuch as Costco, Lowe’s and Safeway traveled corridor between Poplar and will continue as is done today.

Delta Waters Road, it will either be at night or behind solid barrier or both For westbound traffic, three lanes of to limit impacts to traffic. traffic will extend through the Poplar-

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CONSERVATION BANK HELPS ODOT

The foundation of success for the $120 million Oregon 62 Expressway project, one of the largest transportation projects in southern Oregon history, can be found in a former pear orchard in Central Point.

Oregon’s first conservation bank was originally developed as an 80-acre parcel of oak savannah, prairie and vernal pools that neighbors land owned

by The Nature Conservancy. U.S. Fish and Wildlife approved the ODOT bank in 2008. The two facilities combined at nearly 225 acres for the largest intact oak savannah ecosystem in southern Oregon.

The conservation bank is permanently protected land managed for endangered, threatened, and other at-risk species. According to ODOT Wetlands Specialist Paul Benton, who

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manages the agency’s conservation bank, the ODOT site has since grown to nearly 200 acres.

“ODOT and the Nature Conservancy rehabilitated the latest addition to the site, 14 of 116 newly-acquired acres late last year,” said Benton.

The conservation bank helps ODOT with project development by providing credits for habitat disturbed by major transportation construction projects.

State and federal laws require mitigation. Conservation bank credits are subject to approval by Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Oregon Department of State Lands.

In addition to the Oregon 62 project, the conversation bank has been instrumental in developing several transportation

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projects in southern Oregon, including the $72 million Fern Valley Interchange project in Phoenix.

ODOT’s conservation bank is home to two endangered plants, Cook’s lomatium and large-flowered woolly meadowfoam, and the threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp, an inchlong translucent crustacean related to lobsters and saltwater shrimp. Each of the species occur in vernal pool habitat — small, shallow wetlands that fill with water during fall and winter rains and dry up in spring and summer.

After its use as a pear orchard, the open field was graded in the 1930s, and the last area was heavily grazed for years. Last fall, ODOT spread more than 35 pounds of Cook’s lomatium and woolly meadowfoam seed, along with other native seed grasses. Those seeds are growing and fairy shrimp are populating the area formally leveled by cattle grazing.

Other restoration efforts include thinning oaks near vernal pools, targeting invasive grasses with field burns and planting native bunch grasses. Benton said the latest rehabilitation project used historic aerial photos, along with LIDAR topography, to recreate the mounds and pools lost decades before.

According to Art Anderson, Area Manager for the Rogue Valley, local transportation stakeholders acknowledge that the conservation bank continues to be an important tool that benefits crucial transportation infrastructure investments.

“The bank was conceived with a 20year planning horizon to meet our needs,” said Anderson. “The bank continues to save us a lot of time, especially on our largest, more complex highway projects.”

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Bye-bye blackberries & poison oak

Bear Creek Greenway

A one-mile section of Medford’s Bear Creek Greenway welcomed a new look over this past winter. Bye-bye to blackberries and poison oak that had overgrown and crowded the popular greenway located between Bear Creek and Interstate 5 on ODOT property.

The blackberry brambles and poison oak were replaced with hundreds of native plants and shrubs, including Oregon Grape and Incense Cedar.

“The planting took place during the winter season, so the roots of these native plants and shrubs will be wellestablished by the time the summer heat arrives,” said ODOT Assistant District Manager Jeremiah Griffin.

The effort behind the Bear Creek Greenway cleanup began more

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than a year ago when the city of Medford applied for Blue Sky funds from PacificCorp to restore a fiveacre riparian area along Bear Creek, stretching from 10th Street to McAndrews Road near downtown Medford. The city received the funds and contacted the Rogue Valley Council of Governments to be the project manager. At about the same time, ODOT began blackberry bramble removal work along the agency’s right of way, adjacent to the Bear Creek Greenway.

“We all had multiple efforts going on at the same time, but we weren’t coordinated,” said Griffin. “Thanks to the city of Medford and RVCOG, we were able to work together with Craig Tuss and Greg Stabach to share resources and avoid duplication.”

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The clean-up work also removed accumulated trash from transients who camped along the path.

“This area is for the community to use and is much more secure now than before,” said Medford Police Officer Greg Nichols, who frequently patrols the path with his motorcycle. “You can see the creek from the trail and down the trail itself, giving a feeling of safety.”

Nichols said much of the project’s success is due to ODOT’s Central Point Maintenance Manager Gary Lollar and crew.

“Without them, we most likely would still be stuck in first gear on this project,” said Nichols. “The cooperation we’ve received from ODOT has been amazing.”

About the Bear Creek Greenway For more than 30 years, Southern Oregon has worked to connect its communities with a greenway corridor.

The Bear Creek Greenway is a 20-mile paved multi-use trail linking the cities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford and Central Point. The Greenway is continuous from the Ashland Dog Park to the Dean Creek Frontage Road, north of Central Point.

Soon it will connect to the Rogue River Greenway and follow the Rogue River to Gold Hill. When completed, the combined Rogue River Greenway trail and Bear Creek Greenway will extend over 50 miles and connect eight cities in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

The teamwork includes the Oregon Stewardship, which has been working one-on-one with students for years to enhance the riparian area.

“It’s great to have everyone on the same page working together,” said Jim Hutchins of Oregon Stewardship.

According to Griffin, the partnership will continue to enhance conditions along Bear Creek and the Greenway for the benefit of the Medford community.

Bear Creek Greenway Resources

Greenway Map

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Riparian Planting

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GOING WITH OReGO

Oregon’s Road Usage Charge Program

By Michelle D. Godfrey The future is by its nature unknown, but one thing is certain in the transportation industry: it costs a lot of money to maintain our transportation system – not to mention building new capacity or funding projects that expand choices.

Since 1993, the price of road and bridge construction and maintenance has more than doubled. Meanwhile, the federal Highway Trust Fund has run out of money. And with more cars becoming highly fuel efficient, revenue from gas taxes is failing to make up the gap – both federally and at the state level.

Over the past decade, Oregon has experimented with ways to address funding shortfalls. A taskforce and several studies considered many options, including raising the gas tax, taxing tires, a flat fee and more. One concept rose up as being the most fair and the most economical: a fee for based on how much you use the road.

Welcome OReGo! On July 1, ODOT will launch OReGO, the nation’s first operational program that charges motorists directly for their road use. It is the first step toward a future in which technology-

enabled pay-for-use methods replace per-gallon fees as the prevailing means to collect money to fund our highways.

It’s no surprise Oregon is the first in the nation to study this alternative in-depth and put it to a real test. The 1919 Oregon Legislature instituted the first gas tax in the country, aimed at “getting Oregon out of the mud.”

But it’s been clear for quite some time that the gas tax won’t work going forward: there’s a federal mandate to make cars get better gas mileage – and technology even has cars on the roads that don’t use any fuel at all. While these efforts are great for the environment and help reduce our dependence on oil, they have another large impact: that of reducing both federal and state revenues for transportation. Yet we still want and need our roads.

So nearly a century after the pioneering gas tax was created, Oregon is doing it again: creating a first. The 2013 Oregon Legislature authorized OReGO, the nation’s first per-mile charging system, which will assess a charge of 1.5 cents per mile for up to 5,000 volunteer cars and light commercial vehicles instead of paying the tax at the pump.

Common questions and answers about OReGO Is this an additional tax?

No. The road usage charge will serve as a replacement for the gas tax, not an additional tax.

Participants in OReGO will receive a credit or refund of gas tax paid while they are in the program. The system will calculate gas consumed, and gas tax paid, as it also calculates the permile charge. If the two are equal, the motorist pays nothing. If the gas tax paid exceeds road charges billed, the driver will be eligible for a refund. And if the road charge exceeds what was

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paid in gas tax, the excess amount will be due from the motorist.

Will state government track my whereabouts with GPS? No. The law that created OReGO does not require GPS. In fact, it demands that at least one mileage reporting option not use GPS, and that motorists be given choices for the devices and reporting services they will use.

Some consumers are so comfortable with technology they may want the

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benefits offered by an option that does include GPS technology. For example, if you drove out of state, the miles would be automatically recognized as not billable. Other folks are not as comfortable, and will exercise their choice to not use GPS. Either way, ODOT will only use information that counts miles.

Is this program unfair to rural Oregonians?

No. Some say a per-mile charge would be unfair for rural drivers because they must drive longer distances to do basic things such as go to work, school, and the store. But the truth is, Oregon motorists already pay a distance-based tax—the current fuel tax.

And rural Oregonians don’t necessarily drive more. Recent ODOT surveys found no consistent theme for rural driving – some drive more, some less. Sometimes, extremely rural Oregonians reported driving much longer distances for medical appointments and shopping, but that was offset by less frequent trips than their urban counterparts.

Doesn’t it create a dis-incentive to owners of fuel-efficient vehicles?

No. In ODOT’s focus group research (2012-13), electric vehicle owners tended to be in favor of road use charging. They appreciated the fairness of the model as they voiced their concern for maintaining our roads (on which to drive their new vehicles). They agreed that motorists should fairly pay for the roads they use.

While a road charge would be a new bill for EV and alternative fuelpowered vehicle owners to pay (instead of paying gas tax at the pump, as they did with their old car), savings in fuel consumption far outweighed the prospect of a road charge.

Some say a government-run system is certain to run poorly and cost a lot of money.

A new program will cost more initially – especially compared to the current setup, with a system that’s been in place for decades. Today, to collect Oregon fuel taxes it averages about 0.5% of revenue, and that figure reflects a fully operational, mature program with three million vehicles.

Operating costs for OReGO will start out high, especially with just a few thousand participants, but it has potential, and that’s one reason we are using private vendors. They will manage collection, and that will reduce system costs over time.

As the number of participants grows and the market for value-added services expands, costs will decline substantially. ODOT estimates when the number of road usage charge payers reaches one million, operating costs will drop to below five percent of gross revenues per month.

What’s ahead?

The OReGO model could be a glimpse into the not-so-distant future, with “connected cars” and other technology driving things in a way we can’t even imagine. We do know from our past experience that a road usage charge program offers a way to equitably assess fees based on the value a motorist gets from the public infrastructure.

As it stands, the gas tax is becoming obsolete. Over time, older vehicles will phase out and the entire fleet of vehicles will become highly fuel efficient, vaporizing the main way we collect revenue to care for the transportation system. OReGO is a fair and sustainable funding model that will ensure our roads are maintained safely for every motorist well into the future.

Michelle D. Godfrey is the public information officer for Oregon’s Road Usage Charge Program.

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OREGON’S GATEWAY BREAKS GROUND THIS SUMMER The first phase of the Siskiyou Safety Rest Area and Welcome Center along Interstate 5 is expected to break ground later this summer.

Construction of the facility’s roadways and ramps is expected to go to bid later this spring. The project has overcome several challenges and delays over the past two decades to reach the groundbreaking milestone, hurdling land use applications, criticism from residents of the nearby Oak Knoll neighborhood, and development issues that included water, sewer and environmental permits.

ODOT closed the Siskiyou rest area for safety reasons in 1997. The old site had a history of fatal crashes because it was located on a six-percent grade.

After the closure, ODOT began working with the local community and tourism agencies to build a new rest area.

“We looked up and down the northbound I-5 corridor in southern

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Jackson County for an appropriate, safe location for the rest area,” said ODOT Area Manager Art Anderson.

“The Federal Highway Administration expects ODOT will build a new rest area to serve travelers coming off the Siskiyous.”

According to Anderson, the Ashland’s City Council recently approved water and sewer for the facility contingent on an intergovernmental agreement.

The city had previously approved to extend services in 2011 as long as the project was completed within four years. The new vote removed that time requirement.

“We appreciate Ashland’s support as we work towards restoring Oregon’s welcome center,” said Anderson.

Designed to serve as Oregon’s signature visitor facility, the Siskiyou Safety Rest Area and Welcome Center will be constructed alongside the northbound I-5 lanes, approximately two miles south of Ashland Exit 14.

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Traffic statistics show that more than three million vehicles travel north on I-5 from California to Oregon each year. According to the Oregon Tourism Commission, every dollar spent operating a welcome center equates to $41 in visitor spending.

The facility will house a welcome center, an outdoor kiosk, restrooms and an office for Oregon State Police troopers. Commercial truck traffic will not use the facility. A restroom has already been constructed at the Ashland Port of Entry station, located between Ashland Exits 14 and 19.

The project’s second phase, scheduled to begin in 2016, will build two Cascadia-themed buildings for the rest area. The Cascadia designs would add to the facility’s gateway look for visitors. The environmentallyfriendly design and sustainable ethic will match that of the Welcome to Oregon sign and the new interchange aesthetics recently constructed at Ashland Exits 14 and 19.

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Construction work nears halfway mark

FERN VALLEY INTERCHANGE

With traffic using new connections on both sides of the Interstate 5 Exit 24 interchange, construction work nears the halfway point on the Fern Valley Interchange project.

The Fern Valley Interchange project’s size and complexity, encompassing I-5, Oregon 99, North Phoenix Road and Fern Valley Road, requires more than two full construction seasons to complete. The $72 million project is building Oregon’s first Diverging Diamond design.

“The Diverging Diamond design provides higher capacity to move traffic while, at the same time, reducing right of way needs,” said ODOT Public Information Officer Gary Leaming. “Drivers will move to the opposite side of the road to enter I-5 or to cross it. This movement reduces the number of signal phases a driver needs to clear.”

In addition to construction of the Diverging Diamond interchange, the project realigns North Phoenix Road between Peterbuilt Motors and Home

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Depot. The project is scheduled for completion in September 2016.

“This is kind of the summer of action,” said Phoenix Mayor Jeff Bellah. “We have all the freeway work and Fern Valley work going on. [This project] will increase our ability for more growth in the future. We’re pretty excited.”

According to ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher, a weekend closure in March was needed to make three important connections on the west side of I-5, including the new North Phoenix Road.

“Traffic is on new roadways and using a new, signalized intersection east of the interchange,” said Fletcher.

Prime contractor Hamilton Construction of Springfield placed new bridge beams during the winter.

Work proceeded on the west side of the I-5 bridge approach.

“Little work could be done on the east side approach until traffic was

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moved onto a temporary northbound on-ramp and new North Phoenix alignments,” said Fletcher.

With the old North Phoenix Road and the northbound on-ramp out of commission, the contractor can remove the old road surface and begin moving the large pile of fill necessary to build up the new eastside bridge approach.

The construction timeline advances for the east and west bridge approaches.

By the end of this year, drivers should be on the new I-5 bridge and new onand off-ramps at Exit 24.

Once traffic is on the new bridge, prime contractor Hamilton Construction will demolish the old, two-lane bridge.

West side work Construction workers are preparing approaches and setting rail forms for the north half of the new four-lane Bear Creek Bridge west of the Shoppes

at Exit 24. During the summer, the old Bear Creek Bridge will be demolished to its foundations and half of the new bridge will rise.

Demolition and construction below the ordinary high water mark can only be completed from June 15 to September 15, the in-water work period set aside to protect fish.

Rebuilding of Oregon 99, Bolz Road and Fern Valley Road continues. This work includes installation of a new water line and storm drain system for the city of Phoenix.

“This may be the most challenging construction phase for the city of Phoenix and local businesses,” said Leaming. “The work is right in the core of Phoenix, alongside businesses and Oregon 99 corridor.”

Oregon 99 work will include widening the roadway to accommodate turn lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks and new traffic signals.

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“The key is to keep traffic moving while ensuring shoppers have access to those businesses,” said Fletcher.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised so far. We’ve kept disruptions to a minimum, most of which occurred during the installation of a new city water line and utility work prior main construction.”

“The traffic simulation video makes it much easier to explain how the new Fern Valley interchange will operate,” said Leaming. “From our project outreach during the South Medford Interchange project, we learned that a picture or, in this case, a video, is worth a thousand words. Once people see it, people get it.”

3-D traffic simulation video “How will I negotiate the new interchange design?”

Work Zone Safety I-5 drivers are benefitting from many safety features in the Fern Valley Interchange project work zone.

Beyond cones and barrels, the project employs TripCheck traffic cameras, the Rogue Valley’s first incident response vehicle, and transverse rumble strips that have been built into the temporary southbound off-ramp to notify drivers of the upcoming tight, 20 mph curve before reaching the signalized intersection.

That’s a frequent question ODOT hears from local drivers and Phoenix residents, including stakeholders who followed the project’s long development process.

A 3-D traffic simulation completed in 2013 shows how the new crossing diamond interchange will operate.

The simulation is featured on the project website.

“The I-5 speed limit is lowered to 50 mph because of the narrow travel

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lanes and the close proximity of workers and vehicles entering and exiting the work zone,” said Leaming.

“All of these tools are designed to reduce work zone crashes.

“Studies show that driver inattention is the biggest factor in work zone crashes.”

Oregon State Police and Jackson County Sherrif patrols the work zone.

Traffic fines double in work zones, even when workers aren’t present.

“For everyone’s safety, people really need to pay attention in the work zone,” said Jackson County Special Projects Manager Jenna Stanke.

“We’ve had instances where drivers haven’t stopped for Bear Creek Greenway users and users who haven’t bothered stopping at the crossing.”

Bear Creek Greenway The Bear Creek Greenway crossing was temporarily replaced at grade with Fern Valley Road because of the bridge construction.

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Rectangular, rapid-flashing beacons are used so Fern Valley Road drivers can see that a greenway user wants to cross the road. Greenway bicyclists and pedestrians are strongly encouraged to push the buttons to alert motorists, who should treat the flashing beacons as they would a standard crosswalk.

Staying close to construction ODOT opened a temporary construction office within ‘The Shoppes at exit 24’ shopping mall to serve as a base of operations for the project inspectors. The public is welcome to stop by the office for more information.

“We’re trying to keep everyone informed, especially at key milestones when roadway changes will affect travel,” said Leaming.

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