COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019 | 7A
from A1
HWY
presented an informational
slideshow to an audience of
about 70 people, detailing
the county’s designs on the
corridor.
Many in the audience
had been eagerly antici-
pating the presentation as
the notion of an improved
highway has weighed on
the community’s collective
consciousness for some
time.
Momentum for the proj-
ect was largely generated in
response to the tragic death
of cyclist Jane Higdon on
May 31, 2006. Higdon was
bicycling in a group of four
on Territorial Highway
when she was struck and
killed by a Kenworth truck.
“The community ral-
lied and insisted that we do
something to improve the
safety of Territorial High-
way,” Taylor said of the in-
cident.
Years passed and grant
money was finally secured
in 2014 for a planning pro-
cess to involve the com-
munity in finding a design
solution.
The passage of Keep
Oregon Moving, Oregon’s
landmark
transporta-
tion package (HB 2017),
enabled a jurisdictional
change of ownership from
the State of Oregon to Lane
County, which was a deci-
sive turning point for the
project.
“Since then, we’ve been
preparing plans, investi-
gating and we’re now con-
fident that we can deliver
the community-preferred
alternative, starting con-
struction next summer,”
Taylor said.
Taylor also emphasized
the dangers of the highway.
“I was white-knuckled
driving here,” she said.
“The problems are pret-
ty apparent. There are no
shoulders for cycling or
for any other roadway user.
If your car breaks-down,
you’re in trouble. There’s
flooding. On a regular ba-
sis, it overtops the road in
a 100-year storm. There are
very sharp curves on what
we call ‘Stony Point,’ an ac-
tive slide and obvious poor
pavement condition. And
our project is going to solve
all of these problems.”
Taylor then revealed the
county’s plans for the cor-
ccb# 217560
r
Ove
30 s
Ye x a pe r rience
ridor.
“We’re providing 11-foot
travel lanes, one in each di-
rection, and six-foot shoul-
ders on each side,” Taylor
explained, which elicited a
room full of applause.
Because of the widening,
the county anticipates im-
pacts to property owners,
though Taylor said, “We’re
going to try to make it as
painless as possible.”
To decrease the bur-
den on frequent Territo-
rial travelers, the county
has proposed to tackle the
project in four phases over
four summers.
Phase 1 will begin in
2020 at a midway section
of the highway, which ad-
dresses a landslide hazard
at Stony Point and realign-
ment of the section’s partic-
ularly sharp curves.
Phase 2 construction will
address the northern part
of the corridor at Gilles-
pie Corners in 2021. The
curves of the road here will
also be “softened” and two
bridges will be raised and
widened.
Phase 3’s 2022 construc-
tion will realign the corners
of a segment between Easy
Acres Drive and Hamm
Road.
Phase 4 will complete
construction in 2023 on
the corridor’s southern half
between Territorial Lane
and Cottage Grove-Lo-
rane Road, implementing
improvements the latter’s
intersection and more soft-
ening of curves along the
roadway.
Following the presen-
tation, break-out tables
staffed by experts provided
information on each phase
of the project to locals as
concerns and input were
documented.
Jim Edwards, a 50-year
resident of Territorial
Highway, owns several
properties along the corri-
dor including the Lorane
Family Store.
“I think it’s a good idea,”
he said of the project.
“Stony Point’s been a prob-
lem every year.”
Edwards said people
have been known to over-
estimate their driving skills
on the roadway.
“And during the winter
time, there’s ice and snow
on that thing, so it’s just
kind of a dangerous situ-
ation,” he said. “And so, I
hope they get that straight-
ened out a little bit.”
Local resident Ruth Mill-
er also attested to the dan-
gers of the highway.
“Ever since I’ve lived
near this road, it’s been
scary to drive my car on,”
she said.
Miller
runs
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SUMMER
AT THE
LIBRARY
Join us for:
Summer Reading Kick-Off Party
Wed. June 19 th , 2-4pm
Summer Preschool Storytime
Wednesdays at 10:30am
Friday “Drop-In” Preschool Play Date
Fridays at 10:30am for informal family fun
Ukulele Club
Thursdays Adults: 9am Kids: 10am
Adventure Field Trip Sign-ups
happening now
State Sen. Floyd Prozanski,
who was expected to at-
tend the evening’s meeting,
though he was reportedly
held up in Salem due to the
recent Republican walkout
of the legislature.
“It’s bittersweet,” Jeffer-
son said. “Coming here, I
had to travel over the part
of the road where she was
killed. It’s hard. But the
sweet part is, something
positive is happening. …
That was the reason for
putting the foundation
together, was to keep her
spirit alive in some way.”
Overall, Jefferson was
pleased with the project
and the traction it has gath-
ered.
“The plan that they have
right now looks to me like
the right plan,” he said. “I
think everybody will be
happy with it in the end. At
least I hope they will be.”
The meeting was not the
last chance for stakeholders
to voice concerns or give
input. Two more events
will take place before con-
struction begins next sum-
mer.
A public hearing is
scheduled to take place
before the Lane County
Transportation
Adviso-
ry Committee at the Lane
County Public Works De-
partment on July 24 from
5:45 to 7:30 p.m., then a fi-
nal Board of County Com-
missioners meeting will
be held at an unspecified
date this fall to approve the
plan. If approved, the proj-
ect will then begin acquir-
ing rights-of-way.
Those living along the
corridor who did not re-
ceive notice of the June 20
informational meeting are
encouraged to share their
contact information with
the county by contacting
Becky Taylor at 541-682-
6932.
US
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which arranges affordable
bicycle tours for women,
but is herself reticent to
take her bike on Territorial.
“On the rare occasion
I brave riding my bicycle,
I’m really frightened for
my life and I shouldn’t have
to be,” she said. “The road
is not created for safe travel
for cars.”
Miller cited blind cor-
ners and the lack of shoul-
ders as her main concerns.
“The only surprising
thing to me is that it’s tak-
en so long to happen. And
that there’s been lives lost
and people injured because
the state and the county
have dragged their feet so
long,” she said. “I’m really
happy to see it’s finally go-
ing to happen.”
Most reactions appeared
positive at the meeting,
including that of Higdon’s
husband, Tom Jefferson.
Now a retired family
physician, Jefferson re-
called the devastating event
which served as a catalyst
for the project.
“It pretty much changed
my life — completely, very
sadly,” he said. “But as a
result of that, there was so
much outpouring of sup-
port for me and for her
that we were able to create
a foundation.”
The Jane Higdon Foun-
dation has since raised
funding for at least two
dozen social, education-
al, bicycle and pedestrian
safety programs, according
to its website. Naturally, a
sizeable amount was put
toward the initial planning
phase of the Territorial
project.
“The Jane Foundation
and King Estate put togeth-
er $100,000 of community
support to show this was a
project people were inter-
ested in,” Jefferson said.
The effort had even gar-
nered support from Oregon
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Wednesday, June 26 – 6:30 p.m.
For more information call:
Linda LaZar (541) 942-0054
1425 Daugherty Ave • Cottage Grove
Refreshments will be served
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are now at the Cottage Grove Bi-Mart store.
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