Medford, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Transportation is looking at options to improve the Medford viaduct, which could be destroyed in the event of a major earthquake.
The iron and concrete span makes up slightly more than half a mile of I-5 over central Medford, but it was built in the sixties and while it’s undergone some upgrades over the years, nothing like what it would need to survive a devastating earthquake.
Now ODOT has hired a Portland company, Kittleson and Associates, to figure out the best way to fix it and local leaders are watching closely.
Doug Breidenthal, Jackson County Commissioner, “If we were to have an earthquake and that viaduct went down or became structurally unsound that would shut down I-5 and that would not be a good thing.”
The study will develop a priority list of potential improvement options, including changing the current path of the interstate through Medford.
An ODOT spokesman says the project will take several years and the public will have multiple chances to weigh in the process.
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