Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 18, 2006 Bridge could see weight limit Bridge over Bear Creek in Phoenix is being monitored ahead of replacement plan By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune PHOENIX — Jackson County officials are negotiating a contract for further assessment of the city's only direct access to Interstate 5. Nearing the end of its life expectancy, the half-century old bridge over Bear Creek is one of 39 county bridges slated for replacement under a state program to replace old and failing bridges in the state. But funding for the project has been put on hold due to its inclusion in a $40 million rebuild of the Fern Valley interchange, which has itself been delayed by controversy over its design and the impact it will have on the small town. While monitoring of the bridge has been ongoing, inspection in recent months found the bridge in a poor-enough state to warrant weight restrictions that could ban typical fruit and lumber trucks that use it daily. City officials, business owners and county representatives met last month to discuss concerns over the effect weight restrictions would have. Initially, county officials said weight restrictions could reduce load limits to as little as 36,000 pounds. Legal load limits are 80,000 pounds for most vehicles — or 105,000 for heavy trucks with a special permit. Advertisement Public Works Director Jim Wear told council members last week that the county had notified the city of a contract for the bridge assessment with Salem consultant David Evans and Associates. County Engineer Dale Petrasek said with a little luck, the bridge would only be restricted to vehicles heavier than 80,000 pounds, which business owners called manageable. "What we're trying to do there is determine what kind of temporary repairs and what kind of load limit we could put on there to lesson the impact to the business community." While funding is an issue for the county, especially with the likely loss of federal timber tax revenue subsidies, Petrasek said county leaders felt that more extreme weight restrictions on the bridge would be too much for the community to bear. The county has agreed to pay up to $9,850, and results of the assessment are due late March. "We either have to load limit the bridge or we get this report that says we could do 'X, Y, Z,' " Petrasek said. "Basically we're not proceeding with any load limit until we get this report." Norman Lumber owner Jeff Norman was pleased to learn the county had agreed to pay for a closer look at the span. "I think that's very encouraging," Norman said. "We thank them very much. I knew they'd do the right thing." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com