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Roadwork Here are some construction projects motorists may encounter in Jackson and Josephine counties. For Jackson County: Highway 62, near the overpass of Interstate 5 -- Grinding and inlaying of about 600 feet on the highway. Work will begin about 9 p.m. Wednesday and is expected to be completed by 3 a.m. Thursday. Inlay paving to begin on Thursday at 9 p.m. and be finished by 5 a.m. Friday. There will be lane closures. Highway 62, milepost 7 to milepost 10 or about Dutton to Linn roads in Eagle Point -- Royal Avenue from Highway 62 to Loto Street in Eagle Point will be closed from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. There will be signs advising of a detour using Linn Road. Closures will be periodic. Crowson Road and Interstate 5 overcrossing at milepost 13.3 -- Work performed on Crowson Road at the bridge with some traffic delays. Northbound traffic will be restricted to a single lane until August at the Crowson Road bridge. For Josephine County: Interstate 5 at milepost 48.5 to 58 -- The section of freeway is open to two lanes in both directions of travel with some minor shifting of traffic and narrower than normal lanes. Short-term lane closures can be expected. Interstate 5 near Rogue River from milepost 43.1 to 48.8, Evans Creek to Rock Creek Point -- Paving of the freeway at night with expected traffic delays and lane closures from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Shoulder work will continue through October. Northbound lane closures during the day from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highway 199 from Grants Pass to Applegate River -- Shoulder closures expected while a contractor performs cleanup. Source: Oregon Department of Transportation Flagger ahead, every 40 miles Expect lots of highway repair The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Travelers hitting the road this summer will find the going slow. Widespread repair work on state and federal highways, combined with a record number of drivers expected to take advantage of still-low gas prices, threaten to make long-distance treks more like rush-hour commuting. The red flag from experts: Do not expect to go more than 40 miles on major roads without encountering the cones and barrels of a construction zone, from California's Yosemite National Park to Pennsylvania's Amish country. Some of the work is the first fruit of the $203 billion highway bill that President Clinton signed into law a year ago Wednesday. The funding is a 40 percent increase over the nation's previous highway bill, and unlike past years, all states but Massachusetts saw a sizable jump in their share of the pie. Government leaders gathered on Capitol Hill last week to celebrate the first anniversary of the law, which they said would create safer roads, ease urban congestion, alleviate suburban sprawl and promote mass transit. The joviality was accompanied by a sober warning: The added construction has increased the risk of traffic accidents. Each year more than 700 people are killed and 37,000 injured in such accidents. One in seven deaths involves a construction worker. Many involve motorists who slam into the vehicle in front of them when it slows for a flagger or a police officer directing traffic. Political leaders asked the public to be vigilant behind the wheel during what will be a taxing summer on the roads. They also appealed for patience. Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Pa., the committee's chairman, added: "What seems like wasted time in traffic now will mean time and lives saved in the future." AAA spokesman Mitch Fuqua had one piece of advice: Slow down for safety's sake. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA