East Medford construction a headache for some

Medford, Ore. — Construction in East Medford is causing headaches for some residents.

Avista is working in the areas of Hillcrest Road, Black Oak Drive, and Pierce Road. It’s part of an effort to replace and upgrade existing equipment that brings natural gas to Medford homes. The work has been going on for a few weeks now. Some residents in the area say it adds several minutes to their commute and a few homeowners even say the backup of traffic is preventing them from leaving their own driveways.

“People don’t notice there’s a driveway there, and so they pull up and stop in front of the driveway and if you’re trying to get out it’s difficult, so it’s kind of been a pain,” Medford resident Maggie Thompson says.

Officials with Avista apologize for the inconvenience and say they appreciate residents patience as they make necessary improvements. Work at Hillcrest and Black Oak is expected to wrap up in two weeks. They say construction on Pierce will wrap up before the end of the year.