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Row River Trail To Get Safety Upgrades

Lydia McKinney
/
Lane County

Work will start soon on safety improvements to the Row River Trail in Cottage Grove. The project started in 2011 after South Lane County School Board Member Michelle Portman was fatally hit by a truck while biking the path.

Portman was the 2nd bicyclist killed where the trail crosses Row River Road.  Lydia McKinney is Lane County Transportation Manager. She says finding grant funding was essential since the county's road fund is lacking.

McKinney: "We were very fortunate to receive a grant from the Federal Lands Access Program."

The 1 million dollar project will improve safety at 2 of the trail's hazardous intersections.

McKinney: "The first being the one, 4.0, where we've had those 2 bicycle fatalities. And the construction project will be for an undercrossing, so the trail will go underneath Row River Road at that milepost."

Credit Lydia McKinney / Lane County
/
Lane County
Crews will build a tunnel under Row River Road at the trail's milepost 4.0 so cyclists won't have to cross it.

At milepost 5.4, the trail is being re-aligned so it crosses the road at a perpendicular angle. There will also be lighting and signage improvements along the trail. The project is expected to be completed by this fall.
 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.