Medford, Ore. — Costco’s upcoming move to Central Point will have a pretty big impact on traffic in the area, especially on Medford roads. Costco hired a traffic engineer to do the study, impacting both Central Point and Medford. Those findings were announced Thursday in a Medford City Council meeting, revealing the added traffic around Table Rock road may cause more accidents in the area.
“They had to do a traffic study, and we had to review it, and it revealed that at a couple intersections, crash rates may go up as a result of increased volumes at those intersections,” Cory Crebbin said, Director of Medford Public Works.
According to Crebbin, Costco is willing to pay the city $70,000 in mitigation for those added risks. He said that money will likely go toward future city projects.
Costco is hoping to open up an 18-acre site with a fuel station, located on Table Rock and Hamrick roads. Table Rock road would be expanded to five lanes, and a traffic signal would be added at Table Rock and Airport roads, which Jackson County would pay for.
Costco is hoping to open their new store by the end of this year, but the Central Point Planning Commission has not yet made a recommendation to their City Council.
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