New Traffic Signal Marks Reconfigured Intersection at Eighth and Mill

New Search

j - ~ ~ Ir_.1 ` it Tom= ~ T 7 T~.'~~ October 28, 2008 ~ "CONTACT: Joe Ramirez, Project Manager, 541-682-5228 i From Public Information Section, 682-5523, or 541-954-2938 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Note to editors: Printed or electronic map available. Contact eric.rionesCc~ci.eu_gene.or.usl New Traffic Signal Marks Reconfigured Intersection at Eighth and Milf Anew traffic signal marks a significant change at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Mill i j Street in the east downtown area. Eighth Avenue, which has been closed to through traffic by a median at Mill Street for many years, is now a full, multi-phased, signalized intersection. Additionally, Eighth Avenue between Mill and High streets has been converted from a one- way street to two-way operation. And the southbound Ferry Street Bridge viaduct has been reconstructed to provide two through lanes onto Mill Street/Broadwa'y plus a third lane dedicated to right turns only onto westbound Eighth Avenue. The changes are designed to better connect the new federal courthouse district to the rest of downtown. Over the past several months the City of Eugene and its contractor, Wildish Construction, have been hard at work building new street connections and repaving Franklin Boulevard/Broadway/ Mill Street from 11th Avenue to Sixth Avenue, including the on- and off-ramps at the south end of the i Ferry Street Bridge viaduct. Earlier this year the new Hilyard Street bypass route for westbound Highway 99 traffic was i opened with improvements up to the intersection of Sixth Avenue and High. Streef. Those changes were designed to reduce traffic volumes of the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Mill Street to accommodate the new signalized intersection and pedestrian crossing. i Other transportation improvements in the courthouse district have included reconstructing Eighth Avenue between Mill and Hilyard streets, reconstructing and extending Ferry Street from Broadwa to the Hil r - a d extension and buildin a multi use ath arallelin the Hil and extension and. Y Y ~ 9 P p g Y connecting to the riverbank trail system at Eighth Avenue and a new crossing of Franklin at Alder. Work on the courthouse district transportation improvement project began in 2006 and has .included two major phases of construction totaling almost $6 million. This week's opening of the intersection at Mill and Eighth is the last significant traffic change in the project.. Landscaping and other#inish work is scheduled to be completed by late November. The courthouse area transportation improvement 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 and the City of Eugene. Eugene Public Works • www.eugene-or.gov/pw 858 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon 97501 • 541-682-5523 • fax 541-682-6826 • e-mail pwadmin@ci.eugene.or.us