Work to Begin July 23 on Next Phase of Courthouse Street Improvements

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I~ . . . . . . . . : : : : : . . . . . . . . _ _ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I'' _ July 19, 2007 CONTACT: Joe Ramirez, Project Manager, 541-682-5228 From Public Information Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Work to Begin July 23 on Next Phase of Courthouse Street Improvements Work is scheduled to begin Monday, July 23, on the second phase of street improvements in the new downtown courthouse district. The $4 million project is a cooperative effort involving the City of Eugene and the Oregon Department of Transportation, with funding coming from Lane County, the federal government j and the City of Eugene. Wildish Construction Co. of Eugene is the general contractor. Construction is expected to occur in several stages, with final completion of the project scheduled for fall 2008. The second phase work includes reconstructing Eighth Avenue between Ferry and Hilyard ' streets, building a new section of Hilyard Street next to the railroad tracks from Ferry Street to Broadway, adding capacity for southbound traffic in the area of Mill and Eighth, and installing new traffic signals on Eighth Avenue at Mill and Hilyard streets. Improvements at Eighth and Mill will enhance the connection between downtown and the ~i new Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse and the Willamette River. The existing traffic signal at ~ Broadway and Hilyard will be reconstructed to redirect traffic onto the new section of Hilyard from j Broadway to High Street, reducing traffic volume at Eighth and Mill. The project also includes repaving portions of Franklin Boulevard, Broadway, Seventh Avenue, the Ferry Street viaduct offramps and Mill Street. Other features of this phase include amenities such as wider sidewalks, a pedestrian/bicycle path parallel to the railroad tracks, pedestrian crosswalks, decorative streetlights, landscaping, stormwater swales and on-street parking. ~I The first phase of the courthouse district street improvements was completed in September 2006 and included improving portions of Eighth Avenue and Ferry Street and constructing new roadways on the east and north sides of the new courthouse The main construction impacts in phase two will occur within the courthouse district. Traffic impacts and delays are likely when curbs, sidewalks, traffic signals and new asphalt paving are being built on Franklin, Broadway and Mill Street. Traffic updates will be provided at www.eugene- or.gov/traffic and on the metro road work hotline, 984-8484. More information about the project is available at www.eugene-or.gov/pwprojects (click on the Courthouse Transportation link). I, .Eugene Public Works • www.eugen~-or.gov/pw 858 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon 97501 • 541-682-5523 • fax 541-682-6826 • e-mail pwadmin@ci.eugene.or.us