Crater Lake Avenue had 290 crashes in the stretch from East Main Street to Delta Waters Road from 2011 to 2015, including a fatal accident in 2014 at the intersection of Crater Lake Avenue and Brookhurst Street in Medford, when a pedestrian was hit in the crosswalk by a turning vehicle.

A crash-prone stretch of Crater Lake Avenue is about to get a lot safer thanks to a $3.6 million project that will improve signals and crosswalks.

Medford City Council last Thursday voted to enter into an agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation, which secured a federal grant that provides most of the money for the project.

During the grant application analysis, Crater Lake Avenue had 290 crashes in the stretch from East Main Street to Delta Waters Road from 2011 to 2015, including a fatality and several injuries.

The fatal crash occurred in 2014 at Brookhurst Street when a pedestrian was hit in the crosswalk by a turning vehicle.

The signal at Brookhurst is used by students going to and from North Medford High. As a result, young drivers are mixing with heavy pedestrian crossings at the intersection.

Left turns at the intersection are allowed when a walk signal is indicated, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

The existing signal is too old to modify it to allow a safer pedestrian experience, requiring a new signal as part of the ODOT agreement.

More recent crash data compiled by the city show the Brookhurst intersection with Crater Lake still experiences pedestrian-involved crashes.

According to a crash heat map released by the city, the greatest concentrations of crashes along Crater Lake Avenue occurred between Jackson Street and East McAndrews Avenue, near Medford High and around Delta Waters Road.

The crash heat map used data from 2017 to 2021.

Other fatal vehicle crashes have occurred along Crater Lake Avenue over the past few years.

Altogether, eight signals will be upgraded as part of the project, as well as other improvements at three pedestrian crossings.

The newer signals will help avoid rear-end crashes, left-turn crashes and improve safety for pedestrians.

High-intensity, flashing crosswalk beacons will be installed at Minnesota Avenue, Grand Avenue and between Skylark Drive and Bradbury Street.

A flashing yellow arrow signal at Roberts Road will also be upgraded.

A special reflective backing plate will be installed at signals to increase their visibility.

The reflective plates will be installed at Delta Waters Road, Roberts Road, Brookhurst Street, McAndrews Road, Spring Street, Stevens Street, Jackson Street and Main Street.

Pedestrian islands in the roadway will also be moved at some locations to improve safety.

ODOT is managing the Crater Lake Avenue improvements because the city is no longer certified to handle federally funded projects because of changes in federal rules.

As a result, the cost of the project is now significantly higher than when it was first selected in 2018.

Federal grants for the project are limited to $3,269,487.60, so the city is providing a 10% matching grant because of changes to the federal program.

According to information provided by ODOT, the typical life cycle of the new signal equipment is 20 years.