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Solutions team sets date for interchange decision By JILL BRISKEY Residents who want to offer their opinions on a new south Medford freeway interchange will have one last chance to speak their minds before the state makes a decision. The South Medford Interchange Solutions Team and the Citizens Advisory Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 29 at the Red Lion Hotel, 200 N. Riverside Ave., Medford. The solutions team is expected to chose one of three options addressing traffic congestion and safety issues at the Barnett Road-Interstate 5 interchange. The Oregon Department of Transportation will adopt the solution team's recommendation. Gary Leaming, ODOT project information specialist, said the public is welcome to attend the meeting, which should end by 1 p.m. "They'll give a presentation on the (public) comments, they'll ask questions, they'll talk," Leaming said. "There will be an opportunity for citizen input as well, but it will be pretty minimal." The solutions team's preferred alternative favors moving the interchange south to connect with Garfield Street on the west side of the freeway and with Highland Drive on the east. ODOT estimates the project would cost $50 million. It will be paid with city, state and federal funding. The solutions team has two other options: directing the state to make minor safety improvements to the existing interchange - the so-called no-build option - or to realign the interchange to connect with Ellendale Drive on the east side of I-5. Residents who wish to speak during the meeting will be limited to five or 10 minutes. Leaming is urging organizations and groups to designate a spokesperson to represent them at the event. The meeting and final decision closes a major chapter in the planning process. The state has spent almost two years drafting plans that involve community members, business owners, neighbors and city and county governments. Once an alternative is selected, Leaming said, ODOT will begin addressing a variety of concerns that include pedestrian safety, sidewalk location, bike paths, safety and traffic issues. The state, city and residents will begin working together to create a detailed design plan for the final environmental impact statement, Leaming said. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.