Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

entrance road with Biddle Road as an interm ediate term improvem ent (needed between 2006 and 2010). However, there has been recent industrial park devel opment activity in the vicinity of the existing at- grade intersection that would need to be acquired and rem oved in order to build the proposed grade- separation. This would increase the cost of such an improvem ent over the level anticipated in the Airport Master Plan . Table 9-3 Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport Improvement Alternatives Considered Airfield Considerations Terminal/Access Considerations General Av iation Considerations Air Cargo Considerations • Extension of Runway 14-32 to 8, 800 feet (project completed) • Consider longer runway for tr ans-Pacific air cargo flights (subsequently determined not to be feasible) • Realign Taxiway A at south end to prov ide 400-foot separation from runway • Reserve area for parallel runway to increase capacity • Short-term need to expand terminal (bag claim, holdroom and rental car) • Short-term need to expand public parking area • Evaluate entrance/exit onto Biddle Road • Consider current hanger expansion proposals • Evaluate development potential if Runway 9-27 is closed • Consider current layout for air cargo fa cilities prepared for Airport Commerce Park • Maintain segregation of large aircraft cargo fac ilities from other commercial or general aviation facilities Source: Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport Master Plan , February 2001. Off-Site Transportation System Improvement Strategies One of the m ore significant roadway improvem ent proj ects proposed in the vicinity of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is the North Medford interchange project. This project will eliminate Hilton Road, which currently runs from Biddle Road to the Poplar/ Highway 62 intersection. Bullock Road currently intersects Hilton Road very close to its intersection with Highway 62. Bullock Road provides access to the south side of the airport, largely for industrial and/or air cargo purposes. However, due to long queues on Hilton Road a pproaching Highway 62, vehicles cannot m ake a southbound left-turn from Bullock Road onto Hilton Ro ad (and thus reach Highway 62) during peak traffic periods. This m akes Bullock Road unattractiv e for vehicles exiting the airport desiring to get to Highway 62 via this route. Under the North Medford Interchange project Bullock Road will be realigned to becom e the fourth leg of the Poplar/ Highway 62 intersection. This will enhance the attractiveness of this route, which would reduce som e reliance on the airport roadway connections to Biddle Road. There has also been som e consideration of providing a new link to Bullock Road from Lear Way . This alignm ent would connect from Lear Way to the curv e at the north end of Bullock Road. Such a connection would require a tunnel since it would cross the Runway Protection Zone. Given the cost of a tunnel and the current levels of congestion at Delta Wa ters/ Lear Way / Highway 62, this connection is not currently recom mended. Medford Transportatio n System Plan 9-7 Air Transportation Plan