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59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 16, 2005 Cars coming down East Main toward Eighth Street in Ashland will have to find a different approach to Rogue Valley Roasting Co. (background) since the section of Main between Mountain Avenue and Dewey Street will be closed for at least six weeks. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman The road to improvement A section of Ashland’s East Main will be closed for up to eight weeks to upgrade the road surface and sewer lines By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Residents and businesses along East Main Street, one of Ashland’s main thoroughfares, will be inconvenienced for up to eight weeks as the roadway between Mountain Avenue and Dewey Street is closed today for major renovation. "I suppose it had to be done," said Barbara Hetland, a Realtor who lives along East Main. Hetland said cities need to keep up on infrastructure to make the community livable. "It’s not a sexy thing," she said, referring to the project. "But when it doesn’t work well, people get upset." The city plans to remove 12 inches of road base and replace it with fresh rock and asphalt. At the same time sewer lines will be upgraded at the intersection of East Main and Eighth Street. Advertisement As a result the approximately quarter-mile stretch of roadway will be closed to all traffic, including residents who live along the street, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The few businesses along East Main will be affected. "It’s going to be kind of an inconvenience," said barista Carlie Deffenbaugh at Rogue Valley Roasting Co. "It’s the only street that people drive by and see us." She doesn’t know how much it will affect business because the coffee shop gets a lot of regulars who can use side streets. During the project, vehicles traveling west on East Main will be detoured north on North Mountain to B Street or south on North Mountain to Siskiyou Boulevard. Eastbound traffic will be diverted north to 7th Street and then to B Street, or south on Morton Street to Siskiyou Boulevard. Intersections that will be closed along East Main include those at Dewey, Eighth, Alida Street, Morse Avenue and Emerick Street. Only residents living along the street will be allowed access after the scheduled hours of operation each day. LTM, Inc., the contractor for the job, will provide temporary access to driveways for these residents. City officials say the roadway isn’t wide enough to permit a one-lane temporary thoroughfare along with the equipment, materials, tools and workers who will be working on the project, estimated to take six to eight weeks. Clint Ritchie, a manager at a trucking company, said the street work would only be a minor inconvenience for getting to and from work. He’ll park his car on a side street to make it easier to get in and out in the mornings and evening. For now, Ritchie doesn’t foresee any problems, but added, "We’ll just have to see what happens and just play it by ear." 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 Advertisement s