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ODOT seeks comment The Oregon Department of Transportation is seeking public comment this month on a proposal to designate two local roads as "expressways." The proposal includes a 8.5-mile segment of Highway 62 from Medford to White City, and a 6.5-mile segment of Highway 238, from the Grants Pass intersection known, as the "South Y" intersection, to Applegate Creek Bridge in Murphy. According to Mike Baker of ODOT, designating the high-speed, high-volume stretches of these two highways as expressways allows for eventual upgrades. While it's not expected to have any immediate impact, Baker said he hopes that the designation will make future funding available for projects to improve traffic flow. Besides high speeds and high volume, on expressways private access and traffic signals are discouraged. Uncrossable medians, tight controls on public road connections, and parking prohibitions are encouraged. Criteria for classification as an expressway include: the highway's importance as a National Highway System route with high volumes of traffic; or designation as part of the State Highway Freight System, a safety corridor, or an urban bypass. The deadline for public comment is Friday, April 28. For more information, or to offer written testimony, contact Mike Baker at ODOT Southwest Oregon Headquarters, 3500 N.W. Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, Ore., 97470. Baker can also be reached by phone at (541) 957-3658 or by email at [email protected] Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA