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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 8, 2005 Phoenix interchange options debated By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune PHOENIX — Design alternatives for an overloaded Fern Valley Road interchange raised so many concerns at a recent open house that city officials are hosting a public hearing today to receive more comments. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Phoenix City Hall, 510 W. First St. Mayor Vicki Bear said the open house held by Oregon Department of Transportation officials last week drew more than 140 residents and business owners. On display were four potential options for rebuilding the interchange, none of which citizens seemed thrilled with, Bear said. "We had this open house and it was well-attended, which was great. The problem was that the citizens didn’t like the four options and there is great concern regarding business access," said Bear. Advertisement "What I’m hearing is that a lot of citizens are not happy." Still in the design phase, the more than $40 million project is scheduled to begin environmental assessment in coming months and is set to start construction by 2007. Debbie Timms, ODOT project leader, said she did not recall citizen comments at the open house being especially negative, nor did she understand the urgency of the city’s abruptly scheduled open house. "Of the comments we heard, I didn’t see where they were that negative," Timms said. However, she added, the city would not be pushed into choosing a design preference. "We are more than willing to take a step back. � We knew that maybe CAC and PDT were not ready to make a decision, so we weren’t expecting one," Timms said. The Citizen Advisory Committee and Project Development Team are two groups working on the intersection project. All told, the money needed for an intersection that would serve the growing area for several decades to come includes: $7.4 million recently approved by Congress. $6 million of general federal transportation funds. $23 million of state transportation improvement money. $7 million from local sources, including the city of Phoenix and Home Depot, whose building plans at the intersection created a bigger push for road improvements to move forward. Phoenix resident Nancy Miller, who lives in Bear Lake Estates off Luman Road near North Phoenix Road, planned to attend tonight’s open house to voice concerns over increasingly dangerous traffic conditions in her area that she felt would worsen with any of the four design alternatives. "We do not need our Luman Road closed off the way they want to. That has been the main entrance to this park for 30 years," said Miller. "Most of their options show the road either closed off or right-turn only except Table Number 1." That was the option Miller "hated the least," she said. The alternative calls for a new interchange structure over Interstate 5 that would connect with a new alignment of North Phoenix Road on the east and Bolz Road on the west. Three additional alternatives include: Maintaining Fern Valley Road as a through road, connecting on the west side with Bolz Road. Using a new interchange structure and creating a new connection with North Phoenix Road on the east, aligning with Bolz Road on the west. Using a new interchange structure and creating a new traffic circulation on the east side and connecting with Bolz Road on the west. On the Web: http://www.odot.state.or.us/region3public/fernvalley/ Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s