Construction on the long-awaited mega-corridor project on Foothills Road kicked off in East Medford in February 2023.

The long-awaited, transformation of Foothill Road into a “mega-corridor” through Medford began Friday.

Knife River Materials is turning a two-mile portion of Foothill from a two-lane road into four lanes with turn lanes at intersections, as well as bike lanes and sidewalks.

The first phase of the $62.6 million project, dubbed “mega-corridor” by city officials, will require removal of trees and brush.

Motorists can expect delays of up to 20 minutes and should use alternate routes if possible during the three-year construction project.

The widening project is a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Transportation, Jackson County and the city of Medford, the Medford Water Commission and Knife River.

“The orchestration of this project is pretty amazing,” said Gary Leaming, ODOT spokesman.

Work on Foothill will take place from Hillcrest Road to Delta Waters Road, and the county also plans to improve the roadway north of Delta Waters.

“Plan ahead, and don’t take that route if you don’t have to,” Leaming said.

The project will start with brush removal, but ultimately the roadway from Hillcrest to McAndrews will be closed to traffic. Since this will be major construction to widen what has been a country road, it will cause frequent traffic delays along Foothill.

Once the brush is removed, work will begin on the ramps to the McAndrews Road overpass from March 8 to May 3. From May 2 to May 30, ramps on McAndrews will be closed for reconstruction and to build retaining walls.

From May 31 to Aug. 1, Foothill will be reduced to just one lane as work begins on widening the roadway under the McAndrews Road overpass. From early August to spring 2024, Hillcrest to McAndrews will be closed to traffic.

Knife River also was the low bidder to smooth out curves on Foothill in Jackson County, with the project cost for that section at $11 million.

Detours and traffic delays can also be expected along the county portion of Foothill.

The work inside the city will help create an alternative route to Interstate 5 and will complement other improvements to the the roadway, including the roundabout that connects Foothill to Highway 140 in White City and the interchange on Interstate 5

The project will be built to the latest earthquake standards, and to pay for it, the city received a $15.5 million federal grant, a $10 million loan and $3 million in other federal money, and the remainder will come from from the city’s capital budget, primarily derived from gas taxes. The Medford Water Commission is paying to upgrade water lines in the area while construction is underway, and it will reimburse the city $5.5 million for that portion of the project.

Leaming said the water commission will perform a lot of work in the general area of the McAndrews overpass. As part of the Foothill project, the city also plans to build a 1,000-foot section of roadway off North Phoenix Road that will eventually connect with South Stage Road once a bridge is built over Interstate 5.

“Plan ahead, and don’t take that route if you don’t have to.”

— Gary Leaming, ODOT