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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 Top tax delinquents in Oregon include four from Jackson County ... Wet March expected for southwest Oregon ... Emergency Services ... Top tax delinquents in Oregon include four from Jackson County ... Wet March expected for southwest Oregon ... Emergency Services ... TALENT ODOT backs off request for highway upgrade money Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Oregon Department of Transportation has backed away from a request that Talent contribute another $300,000 toward the cost of repaving and adding sidewalks on Highway 99 from Rapp Road to the south city limit. Project costs have risen from an estimated $3.34 million in 2012 to $4.59 million next year because of more extensive paving repairs and increased easement purchases. Talent committed $400,000 to the upgrades in 2012. “We are going to go ahead and provide the money as part of our agreement,” Art Anderson, ODOT area manager, said Thursday. “I figured it was worth a shot to try to figure if we could get the city to participate.” City Council members and Mayor Darby Stricker voiced their displeasure with the proposal when Anderson gave a presentation to the group Feb. 3. A 2012 agreement with ODOT said the agency would cover any additional costs for the project. ODOT had proposed eliminating sidewalks on both sides of the highway if the city did not come up with the additional funds, said Stricker. But the city had committed the $400,000 based on citizens' request for sidewalks in previous public hearings, she said. “The right decision was made, and it was a positive response,” said Stricker. “We were going to be looking at having to go back to the citizens in a public hearing to consider the matter.” Sidewalks are important for pedestrian access and economic development of the area, said Stricker. Development in the area is scattered, and there a number of vacant parcels. When constructed, the new roadway will have two travel lanes, a center turn lane, curbs and gutters. The roadway is currently two lanes in each direction. The council voted in 2013 to not pursue a five-lane option that would have added $1.6 million to the cost. ODOT will seek bids in March 2017, with work scheduled to start in May of that year. ODOT had already come up with $900,000 of the extra expense. After the Rogue Valley Area Council on Transportation did not approve funding for the Talent project, ODOT officials felt it was vital and figured out how to fund it in 2012. However, the Talent project didn’t receive a full scoping to determine costs. ODOT will look for additional funds within its budget, Anderson pledged. “I wanted to get a way to make it happen. We are not going to be playing hardball,” said Anderson. A one-year project delay occurred when the city needed to install a new water line under the highway by 2012 or lose an $849,000 Housing and Urban Development grant to pay for a substantial portion of the cost. Other delays came from ODOT, said Anderson. “The big thing was the road. That road has a lot more issues than we originally anticipated,” he said. About $882,000 more is needed for asphalt work after greater amounts of wear were discovered. New plans call for removing 3 inches of old asphalt and then applying a 5-inch layer. Under the old scheme, 2 inches would have been removed and replaced with a similar amount. In 2012, ODOT foresaw getting permits of entry at a cost of $7,000 where the project would impact private property. The new budget includes $193,000 for easements. Part of the expense is for bioswale areas to handle storm-water runoff. Engineering costs for the project have also risen, from $280,000 to $450,000. Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected] By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » 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... 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