ODOT plans Greenway extension from Rogue River to Grants Pass

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Transportation has plans to extend the Bear Creek Greenway walking and bicycle path all the way to Grants Pass.

According to a press release, ODOT is conducting a study plan to identify a six-mile pathway from east Grants Pass to the city of Rogue River. The proposed extension would connect to the Rogue River and Bear Creek Greenway.

Thomas Guevara, who works in ODOT’s Region 3 Planning and Finance, says the two-phase plan must determine a road alignment and make the pathway aesthetically pleasing. The project must be approved by local government officials such as the Jackson and Josephine County Board of Commissioners before it is eligible for ODOT funding. Guevara says it’s also important to collaborate with the public to ensure the project’s success.

Identifying what the community’s concerns are and what their priorities are, and what they would like to see this path look like, becomes a very high priority for us developing the concepts for the project.

Along with having a public Advisory Committee, Guevara says he also plans to conduct stakeholder outreach meetings.

While the exact cost of the project is yet to be determined, he says its target completion date is a year from April.