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Keeping the viaduct viable Five-month repair work on the I-5 overpass beginning next January will result in traffic delays, but will create a quake-resistant structure By JILL BRISKEY Every day, 45,000 vehicles cruise across the 2.7-mile stretch of freeway that bisects Medford without fuss or delay. But next year, that short jaunt will turn into one long and bumpy ride when the Oregon Department of Transportation restricts vehicles to one lane of travel in both directions so crews can repair the Interstate 5 viaduct. The five-month project is expected to have a ripple effect on interstate traffic up and down the West Coast. Vehicles will be forced to a snail's pace and traffic will come to an occasional standstill - delays that could cost the trucking industry more than $60,000 daily. "It's going to turn downtown Medford into a dreadful mess.," warns Central Point resident Robert Huss. "Where do you think most of that traffic is going to go?" Huss is one of the 40 percent of Jackson County residents who use the viaduct to commute across town daily. "I know it needs to be done, but I'm not sure how you can work up there without major headaches," Huss added. ODOT officials, however, say that careful planning and a public information blitz will keep motorists from encountering a vehicular nightmare during construction months. "There's a lot of ways to get through town. They may not be as convenient, but during this project they might work better," said Frank Stevens, project leader with ODOT. In January, ODOT will spend $18 million to overhaul and resurface the 3,222-foot bridge. Crews will repave it with a durable, sand-blasted concrete and reinforce the bridge's 48 beams with concrete that can withstand an earthquake. The bridge rails will also be replaced. "It's not an option of not doing it. It's something that needs to be done," project information specialist Gary Leaming said of the 40-year-old structure. "It's in need of an overhaul to give it additional life." Stevens said plans to speed up the unique and rather complex project have been going on for more than two years. To speed the project along, ODOT will include a per-day incentive bonus to get each phase of the project completed as quickly as possible. The work also has been scheduled for the time of year when traffic volume is lower. Sunday inspection will launch deck work Starting Sunday night, Oregon Department of Transportation workers will inspect the Interstate 5 viaduct in Medford in preparation for a deck rehabilitation project scheduled in January. Weather permitting, motorists may face alternate lane closures along the viaduct from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. The project will be wrapped up April 7. Travelers are urged to drive with caution and watch for traffic control signals and workers near the roadway. The 45,000 vehicles that cross the viaduct daily can jump to 50,000 in the summer. Leaming said the goal is to finish the work before June. "Once you get past Memorial Day, you get all the vacationers on the road," he added. To help out-of-town motorists cope, Leaming said ODOT has already begun meeting with organizations such as California Department of Transportation, AAA and Oregon Trucker's Association to map out alternate routes. Leaming said ODOT is working with city officials and emergency service providers on the project. When work begins, Leaming said ODOT will install cameras for motorists to check road conditions through the Internet, similar to the camera atop the Siskiyou Summit. The repairs will give the viaduct another 20 years of life, Stevens said. The base of the viaduct won't require any construction. Stevens said. The bottom of the viaduct is, "a good, solid structure." Leaming said ODOT will host an open house in six weeks, asking the community for ideas on how best to spread the word about the project - both locally and statewide. No date has been set. The viaduct project won't interfere with another local construction job aimed at repairing I-5. In November 2004, ODOT will begin making repairs to the freeway from north Ashland to south Medford. Additional resurfacing work is scheduled in 2005. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.