Local schools are back in session, and whether you’re driving, biking or walking, you may want to plan ahead for road work on your route.
In the area of Jefferson Arts and Technology Academy, paving is scheduled the week of Sept. 8.. The contractor is attempting to minimize impacts to school traffic, especially during the busy registration and drop-off and pick-up times. As with any construction, drivers should plan for some delays. 19th Avenue from Chambers to Fillmore will be closed to all traffic. 22nd Avenue from Chambers to Fillmore will be open for school traffic from 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. (noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9). Sections of Fillmore between 19th Avenue and the school driveways will also be closed. Fillmore at 22nd Avenue, including the school driveways, will be open for the same hours as 22nd Avenue. Fillmore south of 22nd Avenue will be reduced to one-way traffic southbound only.
On 22nd Avenue, watch for paving and detours between Polk and Friendly streets in the area of Adams Elementary School. 22nd Avenue will be reduced to one-way traffic in the east-bound direction only.
On 18th Avenue from the west end of Churchill High School to Bertelsen Road, the City’s contractor will begin replacing sidewalk ramps at various locations. Expect sidewalk and ramp closures to last four or five days. Temporary ramps will be provided. In the same area, crews from Eugene Public Works the week of Sept. 14 are scheduled to pave Bertelsen from 18th Avenue to Bailey Hill Road and a portion of Four Oaks Grange Road.
In the area of Spencer Butte Middle School and Edgewood Elementary, Donald Street (32nd to 40th) is scheduled to reopen to through traffic on Wednesday, Sept. 9.. Once Donald Street is reopened, construction hours will be limited to 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to not interfere with area school traffic.
East of the UO campus, concrete paving work continues on East 15th Avenue between Villard and Walnut streets. Expect sections of the street to be closed.
In the area of Howard Elementary and Kelly Middle schools, expect delays and lane closures on the Northwest Expressway at the Maxwell connector on Wednesday, Sept. 9, as crews from Eugene Public Works pave approximately 300 feet of the northbound lane.
For students and others who bike to school or work in the west Eugene area, prepare for an extended closure of the Fern Ridge Path between the West 11th bridge and Wallis Street starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, and lasting for up to three months. A detour will be in place via Stewart Road and Bailey Hill Road. Construction will also affect pedestrian access on the south side of the West 11th bridge. The closure is necessary for LTD’s contractor to build three new bridges across Amazon Creek as part of the West Eugene EmX project.
In the Bethel School District, paving work is scheduled the week of Sept. 8 on portions of Elizabeth Street, Juhl Street and Knoop Avenue. If your route to school includes these streets, plan ahead to use alternate routes or leave extra time.
In addition to being careful in construction areas, you should use extra caution in and around school zones. Watch for children crossing the street, and remember that Oregon law requires people driving cars or riding bikes to stop for people in all crosswalks, whether the crosswalks are marked or not. For more information, go to Eugene-or.gov/everycorner.