Highway 62 firms will appeal ODOT plan

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Highway 62 firms will appeal ODOT plan Business owners on Highway 62 in north Medford have been unhappy for years with the state's plans for revamping the highway's connection with Interstate 5. Now three of them are taking that unhappiness to the next step by announcing they will appeal the state's plans. The Rogue Regency Inn, Witham's Truck Stop and the owners of the Comfort Inn have notified the state they will appeal the plans adopted by the Oregon Department of Transportation in connection with the road redesign. Their case will be taken to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. The north Medford interchange has long been a source of frustration for drivers and transportation officials. Northbound drivers trying to leave the freeway at busy times of the day can find themselves at a standstill on the off-ramp or the freeway itself. Drivers trying to enter the freeway heading north or south must navigate a confusing mix of local and state roads to find the on-ramps. In 1997, the state began studying options to revamp the interchange. Now business owners in the area say the cure may be worse than the disease. The proposed changes would eliminate a number of businesses, close a portion of Hilton Road and limit or eliminate access to several businesses on Highway 62 and Biddle Road. The owners of the truck stop and the two motels long have been critical of the plan and previously asked the state to come up with a model that would reduce the impact on businesses. ODOT officials, however, say that creating a solution to handle the area's heavy traffic cannot be accomplished without sacrifices on the part of some businesses. The law firm of Stoel Rives of Portland is representing all three businesses in the appeal.   Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.