Document text
L/RAIN Temp: 55 °F Wind: N at 5 mph Tuesday, April 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 9, 2003 A new sign greets drivers going north on Interstate 5 near Phoenix. It�s one of five message signs the Oregon Department of Transportation will construct in Southern Oregon to alert drivers of possible problems ahead. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Five message boards in Southern Oregon will alert drivers to road conditions As part of a long-range strategy to improve traffic flows, the Oregon Department of Transportation has begun the testing phase of a $306,000 message sign that spans the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Phoenix. This is one of five message signs that will be constructed in Southern Oregon to alert drivers to road conditions ahead. "The goal of these signs is to utilize the capacity we have on the highway as much as possible," said Gary Leaming, spokesperson for ODOT. Motorists will learn about road closures, alternate routes and highway construction projects. "We can tell people there is a crash in Medford, a crash on the viaduct," said Leaming. "We can tell people there is a closure on Redwood Highway. We can alert them miles ahead." The new sign should be fully operational at the beginning of May. There is already a message sign in the southbound lanes leading into Medford, and there is a similar sign on Highway 140 near Klamath Falls. The other four new signs, which will cost $950,000 total, will be built in summer 2004. One of these signs will be built just south of exit 14 in Ashland to alert drivers about the conditions on the Siskiyou Summit. Another will be built just over the border in California to provide information about conditions in the northbound lanes over the pass. Two more message signs will be built near Grants Pass, one on the northbound lanes near Hugo, another in the southbound lanes by Glendale. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S