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FEIS Scheduled for Release
The South Medford Interchange Final Environmental Impact Statement will be released this month after nearly two years of work and extensive internal and interagency review.
"This has been a long time coming," said Oregon Department of Transportation Project Leader Debbie Timms. "But it was necessary to make it the best document we could make, given the many comments we received from the general public, as well as regulatory agencies, on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement."
The FEIS documents the rationale for identification of the Highland Alternative as the "preferred" alternative. It updates and amends the DEIS where information has changed due to design refinements. The FEIS also responds to public and agency comments received on the DEIS.
The public may review the FEIS and DEIS online at the project Web site
(www.smedfordinterchange.org) or in hard copy at the Medford Public Library, the Medford Planning Department and Public Works, the Rogue Valley Council of Governments office in Central Point or the ODOT offices in White City.
ODOT also is working with the Federal Highway Administration and National Marine Fisheries Service to complete the Endangered Species Act requirements regarding the project’s impacts to coho salmon. Once the ESA consultation is complete, FHWA will release its Record of Decision, a formal project decision. The ROD is expected by this spring and will be another major milestone in the project, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2006.
The South Medford Interchange project, a joint venture with the city of Medford, has been in development for more than four years. The project’s aim is to relieve traffic congestion and safety problems at the current Barnett Road interchange.
A project Solutions Team and a Citizens Advisory Committee met frequently to work through the many issues and impacts involved with a transportation project of this size. The groups worked with the project team to come up with the best design to address the issues at the interchange, originally built in the 1960s.
Their recommendation, after examining more than 20 different ideas, brought forth the Highland and Ellendale alternatives as the most viable, in addition to the No Build Alternative.
Both the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Solutions Team recommended the Highland Alternative as the best project solution because of lower costs and fewer impacts to the community and the environment.
Want to learn more about the South Medford Interchange project?
ODOT:
Gary Leaming, ODOT Project Information Specialist, can be reached at (541) 774-6388
Videos:
Two videos are available. The first gives an overview as well as a brief history of the project. The second video uses computer simulation to demonstrate how the proposed new interchange would work.
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