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Phoenix bridge project begins next week By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Feb 04, 2022 01:32 PM A A Oregon Department of Transportation construction crews relocate the Talent, Ashland, Phoenix waterline in December while preparing for a new Coleman Creek culvert replacement project on Highway 99. Construction on the new bridge begins next week. [ODOT photo] Motorists should prepare for short delays and single-lane traffic on Highway 99 as construction begins on a $5.7 million project north of Phoenix to replace a failing culvert with a bridge. Highway 99 will narrow to one lane in both directions starting the week of Feb. 7 as road crews fix a severe drop on the Coleman Creek culvert — roughly 500 feet from North Phoenix Road — by replacing it with a wider, more pedestrian-friendly bridge, according to an ODOT website on the project and a press release issued Thursday. Construction will continue through the fall of this year as part of roadway improvements from Coleman Creek to Glenwood Road. The contractor, Stellar J, will start with the east side of the culvert as it works toward constructing a bridge capable of accommodating 7-1/2-foot sidewalks, a 5-foot bike lane, a center turn lane and four driving lanes. Crews spent much of December relocating utility cables and waterlines to replace the old box culvert, which had a severe drop that was causing erosion downstream. According to ODOT’s quarterly “Moving Ahead” publication, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife highlighted the culvert as a priority because of concerns about soil erosion hindering fish from migrating to spawning beds in the watershed. Cutthroat trout and steelhead are native to the Bear Creek tributary, according to ODOT and ODFW.