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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 23, 2005 Walden looks at Fern Valley site Representative checks out the project area during a Monday visit By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune After helping secure $7.4 million in federal transportation funds to upgrade the Fern Valley interchange on Interstate 5, Rep. Greg Walden visited the busy Phoenix exit Monday to see how the project might take shape. Walden, a group of transportation officials and civic leaders including Phoenix Mayor Vicki Bear looked at a conceptual plan that a project development team and citizen advisers have proposed. "We haven’t finalized any alternatives yet," Bear said. Oregon Department of Transportation project specialist Gary Leaming said the department is working on a draft environmental assessment and developing possible designs to be evaluated in hearings later. The public can view the proposals at an open house from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at Phoenix’s City Hall, 510 W. First St. Advertisement In addition to the $7.4 million Congress approved this month specifically for the project, the interchange work is funded with $6 million of general federal transportation funds, $23 million of state transportation improvement money and $7 million from local sources including the city of Phoenix and Home Depot, whose building plans in the area helped spark the urgent upgrade, Leaming said. State transportation officials also briefed Walden on other regional projects, including work on both Medford interchanges, improvements to the Highway 62 corridor and a Highway 99 expressway in Grants Pass, Leaming said. Walden is scheduled to meet today with Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler to learn about the safe sidewalks program to build sidewalks near schools. The program received $2.8 million in federal money in the same package that funded the Phoenix interchange. Walden plans to spend the week touring Southern Oregon to learn about critical issues and tout his own efforts on such causes. Topics include transportation, health care, culture, economic development and the fight against meth. Other stops included a visit Monday to Oregon Shakespeare Festival to discuss National Endowment for the Arts funding, and a closed tour today of Rogue Valley Medical Center. He’ll be in Grants Pass Wednesday and the Klamath Basin later in the week. Reach reporter Anita Burkeat 776-4485, or e-mail Walden looks at Fern Valley site ">[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 Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s