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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 21, 2005 S. Medford interchange costs go up 35 percent By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Escalating costs of land and materials have pushed up the price of the south Medford interchange by 35 percent, sending road officials scurrying to plug the funding gap. "Land prices are killing us," said Art Anderson, area manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. "We’ve just had a rapid increase in costs." ODOT now puts a $70 million price tag on the interchange, $18 million more than the estimate of $52 million made just about 18 months ago. In addition to right of way costs, ODOT has seen increases in concrete, steel and fuel. Though the extra money has yet to be found, Anderson said he doesn’t think the cost increases will hold up the project, which should go out to bid in 2006. Advertisement "We will find a way to make this happen," he said. ODOT plans to build the new interchange, which will be one of the biggest south of Eugene, about a quarter-mile south of the existing Barnett Road interchange. A new off-ramp will connect the interchange to Barnett Road along Highland Drive. In the second phase of the project, the Barnett Road bridge will be rebuilt and the on- and off-ramps will be removed, improving the thoroughfare’s ability to handle east-west traffic through Medford. Anderson said some of the options being discussed to fully fund the south Medford interchange include using money saved from other projects throughout the state that come in under estimates. ODOT also could appeal to the state for additional funding, he said. Anderson said that in the last six months, ODOT has noticed projects being bid at a higher amount than engineers’ estimates. "We’ve noticed several ‘bid busts’ as we call them," he said. These projects, which had to be put out to bid again, include one on Highway 99 in Talent and another in Grants Pass, he said. Anderson said the increased costs won’t affect the $36 million north Medford interchange project because the job already has been contracted and the right of way has been purchased. Jackson County’s real estate market has seen the median price of a house jump 33 percent from May 2004 to May 2005. Anderson said demand for steel in China has pushed up the cost of rebar on road projects. Concrete is in big demand, and is actually a scarce commodity in southeastern Oregon, he said. Anderson expressed concern about the proposed Fern Valley interchange in Phoenix, originally estimated at $36 million. Anderson is hoping an extra $4 million from Home Depot and Phoenix will pay for any cost increases, but added, "I don’t know where it’s going to land." Generally, ODOT likes to proceed with a project only after all the funding has been secured. But Anderson said that in the case of the south Medford interchange: "If we are 99 percent sure we’re going to get it, we can proceed through the project." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [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 Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s