03/18/10 - City Council Newsletter

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Thursday, March 25, at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. For the downtown shows only, pick up free tickets starting 30 minutes in advance of each performance. Teens can enjoy cool snacks as they catch a hot film, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” that will be shown on Tuesday, March 23, at 2 p.m., at the Downtown Library. On Thursday, March 25, at 4 p.m., the Teen Book Group will meet at the Downtown Library to talk about the novel “Slam” by Nick Hornby. And at Sheldon Branch, teens will get together for Board and Card Gaming on Friday, March 26. Drop in from 2 - 4 p.m. to see friends and play new and unusual games. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or go to www.eugene-or.gov/library. Updated Pavement Management Report Puts Repair Work in Perspective An updated report on the condition of Eugene’s streets shows progress has been made, but more work is needed to further reduce the backlog of needed repairs on the 1,329 lane-miles of streets for which the City is responsible. The 2010 Pavement Management Report was compiled by the Public Works Maintenance Division’s Surface Technical Team to provide updated information on the condition of asphalt paving in Eugene using 2009 rating and inventory data. The report includes an inventory of streets by improvement status and functional classification, details how a pavement management system is used to inspect and rate pavement surfaces, explains Eugene’s pavement preservation program, including updated information about treatment types and costs, and analyzes projected funding availability for pavement preservation through FY2015. The 2010 report found that the street repair backlog declined to $151 million at the end of 2009, from an estimated $173 million the previous year. At least a portion of the decline was due to special circumstances such as lower-than-usual bid prices because of economic conditions and one-time federal stimulus funds targeted to street repair projects. Over the long term, the report found, the current level of funding for street repairs will result in a growth of the backlog to an estimated $233 million over the next 10 years. By contrast, increasing the street repair funding level to $18 million a year will cut the backlog to $82 million over 10 years, and increasing the funding level to $22 million a year will reduce it to $43 million. The report is available on the internet with a link on the street funding page at www.eugene-or.gov/streets. For more information, please contact Public Works Maintenance Director Jeff Lankston at 541-682-4800. Construction Begins on New I-5 Southbound Willamette River Bridge Project With demolition of the decommissioned I-5 Willamette River Bridge completed, construction activity on the new southbound bridge begins in multiple locations. Contractors working for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are building cofferdams on the north and south banks where footings will be poured to support piers for the new bridge. Work on the arch falsework will start by the end of March. Also in late March, Williams’ Northwest Pipeline will reroute a 16-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in the bridge area. The work will affect residents and travelers in the vicinity of Franklin Boulevard and I-5, on Augusta Street, and on the bike path between the Knickerbocker Bridge and I-5 on the south side of the river. While the pipeline is being removed, residents may be aware of the odor of natural gas – this is normal and should not be a cause for concern. Flaggers will direct traffic in work zones. The pipeline work is expected to be completed by early May. In early April, contractors will begin removing the bridge over the Canoe Canal north of the Willamette River Bridge. During removal, the bike detour route in the Whilamut Natural Area will change. East-west pedestrians and bicyclists will use the North Bank Path for access. Signage and flaggers will direct path users to ensure safety and continued mobility. Once removal is finished, construction will begin on the new bridge. The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Franklin Boulevard will close, starting April 12, for approximately 12 weeks. Supports for the new sign bridge and other related ramp work will be completed during the closure. Additional closures of the I-5 Franklin Boulevard on- and off-ramps will be required as the ramps are re-configured to line-up with the new bridge approaches. Only one ramp will be closed at any one time. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 March 18, 2010