Mail Tribune News - Downtown project is nearly complete

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Downtown project is nearly complete The end is near to the big mess in the middle of downtown Medford. The sidewalk project at East Main Street and Central Avenue is expected to be finished Friday, said Mike Webber of the Medford Urban Renewal Agency. New traffic signals at three corners of the intersection also should go up shortly, Webber said. The project has been delayed more than a month because WP Natural Gas crews needed to replace a 1930s-era gas line at the site. The project by Urban Renewal aims to make the sidewalk more pedestrian-friendly and replace slouching traffic signals. While the sidewalk portion is nearly complete, the contractor -- Reed Construction of Eagle Point -- needs to wait for the concrete to fully dry for the bases of the new traffic signals. The corner where U.S. Bank is situated will be remodeled later for two reasons, Webber said: Urban Renewal needs to leave the designated right-hand turn lane in place, and the bank's underground parking lot comes to the edge of sidewalk, creating an engineering problem. Mail Tribune Copyright �  The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA