A $21-million repaving project at the Big X intersection in Medford near the In-N-Out Burger involves 88 new ADA ramps.

Night crews will tackle an $18.2-million road project this summer around one of Medford’s busiest intersections.

Known locally as the Big X, the intersection sits at the crossroads of Highway 99, Highway 62 and Highway 238.

Knife River in Central Point, the contractor for the project, is finalizing the dates for the work, which will take place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to avoid conflict with daytime traffic.

“It’s a big project,” said Jerry Marmon, Rogue Valley area manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. “It will go all the way over the freeway back toward Fred Meyer and then toward Highway 238 on the other side.”

Scheduling details are being worked out but should be announced in the next two weeks.

The construction portion of the project is $18.2 million, but engineering and planning bring the total cost up to $21 million.

A total of 88 new disability ramps will be installed, and all bridges in the surrounding area will be upgraded with new paving.

The last time this area was repaved was in 2000, when the Big X, formerly known as the Big Y, intersection was completed. Since then, the area around the Big X has seen a boom in commercial and housing projects.

ODOT estimated the project would cost $14 million last year, but bids for the project came in higher, driven up by recent rises in the cost of materials and labor.

Marmon said ODOT looked for other ways to close the funding gap, securing additional state dollars for the disability ramps.

A paving project on Highway 66 in Ashland around the Interstate 5 exit was canceled to help pay for the Big X project, Marmon said.

The project area is adjacent to major shopping areas in Medford, such as the Rogue Valley Mall, Fred Meyer, In-N-Out Burger and Trader Joe’s. The project area includes Highway 99 north to Table Rock Road, south to Ohio Street, from Highway 238 west to Ross Lane, and Highway 62 east to the Biddle Road connection.

The west side of Highway 62 currently has a bikeway and sidewalk, but both will be replaced with multiuse lanes. This will take bikes off the roadway to avoid conflict with vehicles.

“The biggest safety change is moving from a regular bike lane to the multiuse path, because bikes will no longer be in the road,” said Mary Dillinger, spokeswoman for ODOT. “That’s especially important at intersections where the bike lane currently goes between the forward and right-turn lane.”

The project center median on Highway 62 will be narrowed to allow for larger multiuse lanes without shrinking the size of vehicle lanes.

Knife River will rehabilitate bridges on Highway 62, over Interstate 5, at Biddle Road, and on Highway 238 at the railroad tracks.

Dillinger said extensive asphalt repair work is needed in the entire project area.

Because the area is so heavily traveled, there likely won’t be any lanes closed during the day.

“All of the work should be done at night so it won’t impact the community,” Dillinger said. “There are no plans to do any of the work during the day.”