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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Wounded Idaho pastor regains consciousness; suspect arrested in D.C. ... Hearts With a Mission expanding to Grants Pass ... String of storms expected to bring wind and rain ... UPDATED: Wounded Idaho pastor regains consciousness; suspect arrested in D.C. ... Hearts With a Mission expanding to Grants Pass ... String of storms expected to bring wind and rain ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Better than tunneling I-5 under Medford Comment By Duane Smith MailTribune.com By Duane Smith Posted Mar. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Duane Smith Posted Mar. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Hats off to Todd McDonald! His perceptive Feb. 21 guest opinion in favor of removing the viaduct and putting Interstate 5 in a tunnel under Medford was timely and interesting. He did a masterful job of pointing out some of the benefits that could accrue to Medford if the barrier that separates east Medford from west Medford was removed. However, with a major portion of the billion-dollar price tag quoted for tunneling under Medford and demolishing the current viaduct, there is a better way. If I-5 was relocated to the east, beyond Medford’s Urban Growth Boundary, in the hills where land is still relatively inexpensive, Medford would be changed forever. When the freeway right of way is added to the Bear Creek right of way, an area twice the size of Ashland’s Lithia Park could meander through the heart of Medford. Dare we imagine six or seven miles of creek-side park in the center of Medford’s urban area? Can we visualize a river walk with artisan shops, outdoor restaurants and wine bars, interspersed with outdoor art space, food carts and craft booths, plus extra parking for the adjacent downtown core area? There could space for an amphitheater or two, for summer concerts or outdoor theater productions. There might also be a seasonal ice skating facility or perhaps Frisbee and additional skateboard parks. It would be a unique opportunity for any town to have the chance of adding such an area to its downtown. What that town did with it would be limited only by the community's imagination. In addition, what if we didn’t spend the sizable amount it would cost to demolish the viaduct portion of the old freeway? What if isolated sections were removed, leaving smaller-sized portions as housing for other uses? The viaducts vulnerability to an earthquake (which first started the discussion) mainly is because it is one long, monolithic structure that needs only one fractured section to close the entire freeway. However, as heavily reinforced as its sections are, when separated, they probably would be the safest place to be during an earthquake. The roadbed of these portions could become botanical gardens, community gardens, or perhaps even small vineyards. However, in the space under these areas, small shops and artisan studios, outdoor cafes, wine bars, micro-breweries, could all be interspersed with areas for outdoor art or items reflecting Medford’s past, all in a creek-side, park-like setting. Above these shops and restaurants, just under the elevated gardens, there could be loft apartments and other types of residential space, or perhaps even unique lodging for tourists who want to stay close to the new downtown area. Under part of the viaduct would also be room for a large, year-round farmers market. This space, in midwinter, could become an annual Christmas market, a concept that draws hundreds of thousands of people, and in some cases, millions, of out-of-the-area tourists. With more than 20 million people traveling the interstate annually, once established, such a year-round, indoor/outdoor market venue, would be a draw all during the year. Such a bold project would be a chance for Medford to not only be the geographic center of a unique area, but a unique town in its own right, surrounded by other unique towns that together offer a unique tourist destination all year long. Other tourist destinations may have more vineyards and wineries or great rivers. Plenty of other places have fishing and scenic mountains, even world-class theater. There are other historic towns and scenic lakes. But where else can you find it all, and within easy driving distances? Where else can you fly fish in the morning, stroll over to a winery in the afternoon and take in world-class theater in the evening? Indeed, collectively, in the area surrounding Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville and Grants Pass, there is a wider variety of year-round, world-class tourist attractions than almost any locale on the West Coast. Medford has a chance to turn its proverbial sow’s ear into a silk purse, and a unique silk purse at that. This one bold stroke could actually make Medford, if not “the center of it all”, at least a unique part of a unique area, thereby boosting the whole area. Duane Smith of Medford, a Rogue Valley resident since 1964, is a former board member and president of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce and the former developer and owner of Lithia Springs Resort. By Duane Smith MailTribune.com By Duane Smith Posted Mar. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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