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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 Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... Gold Hill residents say city dawdled as streets flooded ... El Nino's effects remain uncertain for Southern Oregon ... Josephine County brothers die in single-car crash ... Bear Creek Greenway to be rerouted in Phoenix for construction Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:26 PM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:26 PM » Social News PHOENIX — Bear Creek Greenway users will encounter a longer reroute around the Fern Valley Bridge construction area within the next two weeks. The bridge is part of the rebuild of the Exit 24 Interchange. Oregon Department of Transportation is awaiting arrival of concrete barriers that will separate Greenway traffic from vehicles on Bolz Road before opening the detour. Cyclists and pedestrians began crossing Fern Valley Road a year ago when work on the northern third of the new bridge began. Pedestrians and cyclist have used the old ramps on both the north and south sides of Fern Valley to get to the crossing and will continue to use the north ramp. Greenway users previously passed underneath the old bridge. “One of the principal reasons for the detour of the south ramp is so the contractor can begin work on the remaining two-thirds of the new bridge,” said Eric Finney, Oregon Department of Transportation assistant project manager. The new route will use the existing crossing, and then send users onto Bolz Road south of Fern Valley Road for about 150 feet before they take a new, 300-foot ramp that will link back to the Greenway. Vehicles traffic was switched over from the 1948 bridge to the north part the new bridge in early June. Demolition of the old span is finished. Traffic is expected to flow across the entire new structure, which will feature bike lanes, sidewalks and two vehicle lanes in each direction, in spring of 2016. When it’s all done, cyclists and other users will have a better undercrossing beneath the new bridge. “It does make the undercrossing a lot safer. It will be a lot longer,” said Jenna Stanke, Greenway coordinator for Jackson County. “There used to be a blind corner there, and this project will alleviate that blind corner.” A user-activated, rapid-flashing beacon warning system is in place at the crossing, but Stanke has received complaints that vehicles are not yielding to bike riders and walkers at the location as required by Oregon law. Stanke sent an email to the city pf Phoenix about the situation. “I have my guys keeping their eyes out as best we can,” said Police Chief Derek Bowker. With all the construction in the area, it is difficult to place cars to watch the crosswalk, he said. “Drivers need to stop, and pedestrians and people biking need to make sure the traffic is stopped,” said Stanke. The new bridge is part of the Exit 24 Interstate 5 interchange rebuild. The $72 million project is scheduled to be finished in fall 2016. Structural work on the new bridge over I-5 is completed. Contractor Hamilton Construction is raising the grade on the west side of the bridge and completing embankments on the east side. Traffic is expected to begin flowing across the new bridge in late November, although the project won’t be finished then. Also at that time a new southbound off-ramp and north bound on-ramp will open. A temporary southbound on-ramp will remain in place and a temporary northbound off-ramp will feed traffic onto Pear Tree Lane. “The push right now is to really get things up to grade and paving on both sides of the new I-5 structure so it can be open to traffic the latter part of the year,” said Finney. Tony Boom is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach him at [email protected] By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:26 PM » 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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