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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 10, 2006 Construction on the north Medford interchange, now about two months overdue, has all but stopped in recent weeks. On the road again After delays because of holidays and bad weather, work on the north Medford interchange project will soon resume By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Stalled by wintry weather and the holidays, work on the long overdue north Medford interchange project is set to gear up again and head for completion this spring. "The contractor has seemingly been gone for a while," said Gary Leaming, project information coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. "We have a new schedule for the new year. For people driving through, they will see people out there again." The new calendar provided by contractor James W. Fowler Co. of Dallas, Ore., estimates the project will be finished this spring, but doesn’t set an exact date for completion. A representative of Fowler Co. could not be reached for comment Monday. Construction on the $36 million interchange project that got under way in February 2004 was roughly 90 percent complete by its November deadline. Ramps to carry traffic between Interstate 5 and Highway 62 were open and a section of Highway 62 on a new overpass over the freeway was repaved. Remaining work includes bridge railings and other finish work on the overpass, repaving Biddle Road through the project area, landscaping along the road and striping the lanes onto all the new pavement. Advertisement Crews have worked on the bridge railings along Highway 62 intermit-tently the past month, sometimes during the night when there is less traffic, Leaming said. Such work generally can be done rain or shine. The bulk of the remaining work — creating driveways onto Bullock Road, widening and repaving Biddle Road, constructing curbs, gutters and sidewalks, striping the pavement, and landscaping — depends on the weather, he said. Asphalt paving requires dry conditions and a string of days with temperatures above 40 degrees, so Biddle Road will remain rough for a while longer. The final layer of asphalt, a type designed to promote drainage and keep motorists safe in wet conditions, requires temperatures of at least 50 degrees, Leaming said. Dura-Stripe a plasticized striping material that bonds to the road surface and is supposed to last longer than paint, needs similarly balmy conditions, which likely won’t arrive in the Rogue Valley until spring. An irrigation system to water planned landscaping is partly installed and plantings should begin when the soil is dry enough to work in, Leaming said. The contract called for landscaping and decorative bridge railings because the interchange is a main gateway into Medford, he said. A fence will be constructed around a storm-water detention pond near Motel 6. The pond, which has a concrete bottom, catches runoff from the paved areas of the interchange and holds it until sediment can settle out, thus preventing the dirty water from flowing directly into Bear Creek, Leaming said. Although the project’s initial deadline is two months past, the state won’t decide whether to penalize Fowler until all work is completed. The contract allows the state to assess a $2,000-per-day penalty if missed deadlines are the contractor’s fault. Typically, officials from the company and department meet to review the circumstances that delay projects and negotiate a response, Leaming said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail On the road again ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations dvd-r Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Advertisement s