Document text
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 Roundabout eyed for Highway 140 ... Man gets prison for 2014 Medford carjacking, kidnapping ... Medford School Board looks to fill Lightheart vacancy ... Roundabout eyed for Highway 140 ... Man gets prison for 2014 Medford carjacking, kidnapping ... Medford School Board looks to fill Lightheart vacancy ... TRANSPORTATION Foothill Road project comes with a big price tag Widening work could cost as much as $70 million Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Apr. 21, 2016 at 5:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2016 at 5:43 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Apr. 21, 2016 at 5:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2016 at 5:43 PM » Social News An up to $70 million proposal to widen North Foothill Road to four lanes from Phoenix to Highway 140 gained some traction with the Medford City Council on Thursday, though paying for the project looks daunting — and potentially expensive for local taxpayers. “It’s going to be very challenging to get federal funds,” said Alex Georgevitch, deputy public works director. He said big transportation projects typically require 10 to 20 percent matching funds from local governments before federal officials will consider them. However, for a project of this size to get the attention of the federal government, he estimated a match of 20 to 50 percent might be required, since the project would be competing for the same dollars sought by other rural areas in the country. The council agreed to proceed with discussions about putting together a proposal asking for transportation dollars from the federal government. The city and Jackson County have made widening about 10 miles of Foothill Road a priority to offer an alternative route to Interstate 5 through the valley. The city is preparing to widen a one-mile stretch of Foothill Road from Hillcrest to McAndrews roads at a cost of $13 million. The city is putting up $10 million toward the project, which also will be supported by a $3 million federal grant. Previously, the city widened another one-mile length of Foothill between Hillcrest and Barnett Road. Georgevitch said the city is also looking at federal dollars to upgrade the Interstate 5 viaduct through Medford, a project that might compete for similar funding. Georgevitch said the city several years ago hired a consultant who estimated it would cost $36 million to widen a half-mile stretch of Foothill from McAndrews to Cedar Links Drive. The cost is driven up in that stretch mostly because of the expense of moving an electrical substation at Lone Pine Road. "It was a big number," he said. More recent estimates to widen Foothill from Phoenix to Highway 140, about eight miles in length, put the total cost at about $50 million, Georgevitch said. But, he added, a more realistic number might be $65 million to $70 million. Georgevitch said all the estimates are very preliminary. Councilor Daniel Bunn said that in order to attract federal interest in the Foothill project, he’s heard estimates that 30 to 40 percent matching dollars would be required. He said about half of the matching funds could be picked up by local governments and the remainder from the state. Bunn said the federal government typically doesn’t like to spend money moving substations to accomplish a road project. The Lone Pine substation straddles both sides of the current roadway and would have to be moved to accommodate a four-lane highway. Monte Mendenhall, Southern Oregon regional business manager for Pacific Power, said it would cost tens of millions of dollars to re-position the substation. He said his company hasn’t completed the engineering work to figure out the most cost-effective method for moving a substation that has been at that location since 1928. Mendenhall said it appears the least expensive alternative would be to move the west side portion of the substation to the east side of Foothill. He said other issues that could be involved in redesigning the substation include the possible widening of Lone Pine Road as well as the relatively close proximity to the McAndrews overpass. The distance from Lone Pine to McAndrews is less than 1,000 feet. Councilor Chris Corcoran said he wondered whether the city could create a local gas tax that would be used specifically for the road widening project. The council agreed to look at other funding sources as options for a local match. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Apr. 21, 2016 at 5:26 PM Updated Apr 21, 2016 at 5:43 PM » 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501