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Users invited to help design two parks next to bridge By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER - The people who use them will get to help redesign two parks that will be destroyed during the $14 million replacement of the historic Depot Street Bridge. Coordinators of the project will hold a meeting today to involve the community in creating master plans for the John Fleming Memorial Rest Area and Coyote Evans Wayside. The parks are at the ends of the bridge. The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at City Hall, 133 Broadway St. Jackson County construction supervisor Mike Kuntz said the public will help plan long-term projects as well as access to the parks during the two-year construction phase. "There's an opportunity here to put the parks back in a better configuration than they're in now," Kuntz said. "And the master plan may reveal other improvements beyond park restoration that the city can implement later on down the road." The parks provide parking and space for activities such as horseshoes and fishing. The city-owned Fleming rest area, originally a rest stop for Highway 99 traffic, includes a Chamber of Commerce office and beach and picnic areas. The chamber's office won't be affected by bridge construction. Evans wayside, primarily an access for river recreation, is owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Plans include building a temporary boat ramp. "The new bridge is going to be right over the existing (Coyote Evans) park because of new skewed alignment, so we're going to do a pretty good job of destroying most of that park with the exception of working around a few trees that residents have asked us to preserve," said Kuntz. Jackson County is coordinating the bridge project with the city and state. Funding comes from a combination of federal, state, city and county sources. While the future of the parks will be thoroughly planned, Kuntz said the fate of the 434-foot span between them is still uncertain, despite being offered "free to a good home." The old bridge must be removed before construction of the new span begins in June 2003. Kuntz said the $2 million cost of relocating the bridge so far has deterred any takers. The half-century-old steel truss bridge is being replaced with a larger arch-style bridge with an additional lane. Kuntz said the old bridge can't handle Rogue River's traffic but would be "just fine for a smaller traffic flow. "If nobody steps forward to take it, the contractor will have in his bid that the bridge becomes his. More than likely he will factor in what he'll be able to get for recycling it for steel and we will benefit from a lower bid price," Kuntz said. Bids on the project will be received next January and a contractor will be selected by late February or March 2003. To inquire about buying the existing bridge, call Kuntz 774-6228. For project information refer to the engineer Web site, www.deainc.com/depotstreet. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.