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I noticed a lot of activity on Foothill Road recently. Has the road-widening project started already? It seems like there’s been road construction all over east Medford this year.  — Jeff M., Medford  Yes, the activity you saw on Foothill Road recently has something to do with the widening project, Jeff. But, no, the work you saw doesn’t mean we’re going to see the street torn up anytime soon.  The city wants to improve a roughly mile-long stretch of Foothill Road north of Hillcrest Road. The $10 million project will be coupled with a previous $3 million federal grant to continue widening Foothill. North Phoenix Road between Barnett Road and Hillcrest Road now features four lanes, with a center turn lane — or a raised median in some spots — plus bike paths and sidewalks.  We checked in with Cory Crebbin, Medford Public Works director, and he told us that what you saw was a preliminary survey that required temporarily closing off a lane of traffic.  But the actual work will begin sometime after various agreements are reached between the city and other government agencies.  You’re right, Jeff, east Medford has seen its share of road work over the summer, mainly resulting from upgrades to gas lines by Avista Utilities.  In the future, Foothill Road will become a bypass route of sorts that will allow motorists to skirt Medford instead of using the freeway. Eventually, it will have four lanes of travel from Phoenix to White City. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.