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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement April 30, 2006 [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bridge project to close road By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A bridge replacement project will close a part of Highway 238 between Jacksonville and Medford for the month of May. LTM Inc. crews will replace the Jackson Creek Bridge that carries Highway 238, also known as Hanley Road, over Jackson Creek as part of a $3 million project aimed at making the route safer. Work started last year to realign Bybee Corner, where Highway 238 intersects West Main Street. "That's one of the top crash intersections in southwestern Oregon," said Gary Leaming, an Oregon Department of Transportation project information coordinator. "This is a safety issue." The project will transform Highway 238 into a gentle curve with no stop sign, Leaming said. West Main will dead-end at a stop sign at the highway. While stopped, West Main travelers should have a clear view of highway traffic to make their turn onto the highway. The bridge project, which will replace the existing bridge with a wider structure, is the second phase of the realignment project. Last year, crews moved 1,700 feet of Jackson Creek's streambed about 40 feet north of its current course to make way for the road realignment. Crews anchored boulders and root wads in the new streambed, planted vegetation along it and planned to divert the water into it this spring, Leaming said. However, winter rains flooded the new waterway, depositing gravel perfect for spawning fish. Engineers decided to let the stream shift naturally to its new route. Crews will continue some streamside planting and irrigation work this spring. The final road realignment work will be done this summer, wrapping up in June or July, Leaming said. Some work will be done while the bridge project is under way. "The bridge work has the most effect on traffic," he said. While the bridge is off limits, local traffic still can access Oregon State University's Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center and the historic Hanley Farm from the north, Leaming said. Drivers coming from Jacksonville can take Old Stage Road and Ross Lane to Hanley Road and drivers coming from Medford can take Rossanley Drive, he said. Highway 238, also known as Jacksonville Highway, formerly followed the route of West Main through downtown Medford. In 2002, ODOT linked it to Highway 99 and Highway 62 in a major reconstruction of the north Medford intersection known as "the Big Y," and shifted its route to Hanley Road and Rossanley Drive. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy