Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories State will investigate ticket dismissals Alleged rapist said to have stalked victim after crimes Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Crime, Courts and Emergency Services State will investigate ticket dismissals Alleged rapist said to have stalked victim after crimes Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill Woman sentenced in stabbing case Rogue River man dies in Wednesday car crash Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Logos to receive a slice of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park Medford School Board OKs full-day kindergarten Environment Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow Company fined for illegally dumping asbestos in White City State News Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Economists project 'kicker' rebates Moose spur tough decisions for Washington wildlife officials Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Outgoing Gov. Kitzhaber commutes sentence Nation - World Obituaries Matthew Olin Huff Ruby D. Perkins Arthur �Art� S. Backlund Death Notices Lynn Ann Latham McCoy Lane Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Blazers grieve for popular Kersey Mariota becomes feature attraction at NFL combine Beavers knock off No. 19 Cowboys Goosen, Singh among leaders at Riviera Raiders to face No. 16 Knights, No. 11 Cavs Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers knock off No. 19 Cowboys Raiders to face No. 16 Knights, No. 11 Cavs Young scores 23, Oregon holds off Colorado Duke holds on for OT win Student of the Game Pro Sports Blazers grieve for popular Kersey Mariota becomes feature attraction at NFL combine Goosen, Singh among leaders at Riviera Beloved Blazer Kersey, 52, dies Teams to give Winston a ‘fair shake’ Community Sports Business Latest Stories Dockworkers dispute hits home Medford pharmacy sees steady growth Ride & Drive: 2015 Kia Soul EV Blog: Alaska Airline, brimming with confidence, adding six extended-range Boeing 737s by 2016 Josephine County to approve Southern Oregon business recruiting contract Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: People In Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record The heart of Brammo will remain Agriculture 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Antionette Kerr: Let’s honor Anthony and the rights of all women Kent Bush: Mars One is more reality television than rocket launch Male staffers take lead in Clinton run Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Congress rightly should engage in war debate Editorials Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Our View: A sad end to a historic career Our View: Time to end the vaccine exemption Letters to the Editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 15 Columns Kent Bush: Mars One is more reality television than rocket launch Male staffers take lead in Clinton run Congress rightly should engage in war debate Islamic State's atrocities demand ... what? Michael Gerson: A call for 'patient pluralism' Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Ride & Drive: 2015 Kia Soul EV Community blog: Citrus fruits shine in foods fresh and preserved Marketta Gregory: The promise of Lent Food Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Community blog: Citrus fruits shine in foods fresh and preserved Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Page H. Onorato: Food items help define the South There's a whole universe of chili outside Texas Home and Garden Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Home Help: DIY home upkeep projects for every season Health Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines Community blog: Your Brain on Love Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Community blog: Are You Losing or Gaining on Your Investment in Health? Hiking Biking Faith Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Theater OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Music The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra 'Broadway's Next Hit Musical' Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW State will investigate ticket dismissals ... Alleged rapist said to have stalked victim after crimes ... Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill ... State will investigate ticket dismissals ... Alleged rapist said to have stalked victim after crimes ... Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill ... MEDFORD Big quake requires big plans Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 16, 2015 @ 5:26 pm Updated Feb 16, 2015 at 5:31 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 16, 2015 @ 5:26 pm Updated Feb 16, 2015 at 5:31 PM » Social News Like it or not, the aging viaduct on Interstate 5 that cuts Medford in half is a lifeline for the region and the West Coast, even though it remains vulnerable to collapse if the big one shakes it too hard. The future of the 3,222-foot-long viaduct will be reviewed with the help of $4 million from the Oregon Transportation Commission. The Oregon Department of Transportation recently hired Kittleson and Associates Inc. of Portland to begin the initial review, which could take six months to a year and cost about $500,000. Kittleson will look at a range of possibilities for replacing or enhancing the vulnerable viaduct, from tunneling under Medford to rerouting the freeway. Other options include bringing that part of I-5 down to grade or creating parallel routes through Medford to take some of the load off the viaduct, which sees about 40 percent of its traffic from locals wanting to go across town. More than likely, retaining the viaduct where it is now will emerge as one of the strongest possibilities, though work will have to be done to beef it up so it would survive a major earthquake. “We’re stuck with it,” Medford Councilor Daniel Bunn said. “We can either rebuild it or bring it down to grade.” Any of the options considered will have benefits and drawbacks that could impact Medford, which has too few north/south connector streets. “It’s a mess,” Bunn said. "It’s a very difficult engineering problem.” The span has been criticized almost from the day it was built in 1962 because it created a concrete divider that separates east and west Medford, is vulnerable to an earthquake and sits uncomfortably close to Bear Creek and the downtown. If the viaduct is removed and the freeway is brought down to grade, it would create issues with bridges on local streets. The freeway would still have to cross Bear Creek, and sound walls would likely have to be installed. Whatever option is chosen will be expensive, costing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars and requiring heavy infusions of federal dollars. To qualify for the federal money, the first step is the $4 million study. Transportation officials hope the initial review will pare the possibilities down to two options that will be further studied in a lengthy environmental assessment, similar to the work on the upcoming Highway 62 bypass or the south Medford interchange. “I’m trying to keep my mind as open as possible,” former councilor Al Densmore said. He will be applying for a seat on the citizen advisory committee that will examine the options. Densmore, who remains involved in local transportation panels, said he thinks that engineers will ultimately guide the final option chosen because suggestions such as tunneling or rerouting would be prohibitively expensive. Whatever option is chosen, Densmore said he hopes a way can be found to make the viaduct through Medford less of a concern in the event of a quake. The loss of the viaduct in a major earthquake would create significant economic damage to Jackson County, as traffic and resources likely would be diverted elsewhere. The state of Oregon already has said it will put its energies into U.S. 97 after an earthquake because it anticipates many bridges along Interstate 5, including the viaduct, will crumble. Highway 97, east of the Cascades, has fewer major bridges and is also farther from the expected source of an earthquake from the Cascadia subduction zone off the Oregon Coast. In 2003, ODOT resurfaced the viaduct and installed some seismic retrofits that would prevent it from collapsing in a minor earthquake. To withstand a major quake, the viaduct's vertical pillars would likely have to be wrapped in steel, along with other improvements, said Gary Leaming, spokesman for ODOT. “It is one of the most critical bridges in Oregon, though there are other bridges that could fail,” Leaming said. During the initial review, Kittleson likely will determine whether it’s better to rebuild or replace the viaduct, while also looking at adding extra lanes to accommodate additional traffic. Whatever option is chosen, it will require public involvement and analysis that could take five years or longer, Leaming said. “We have to vet through all this with the public,” he said. “It is such a landmark structure, and any changes to it are going to have big impacts on the community.” 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 MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 16, 2015 @ 5:26 pm Updated Feb 16, 2015 at 5:31 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. 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 Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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 2015 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