The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Cory Reed Road construction at the intersection of SW 14th St. and Jefferson Way, shown during Sept. 2008., is expected to be completed within two weeks.

At the newly renovated intersection of Jefferson and S.W. 15th streets, the sharp sing-song of the crosswalk alert chimes regularly as students cross on their way to or from class.

"I think the crossing timer is really awesome," said Chloe Takacs, a freshman in microbiology. The new alert, which goes off three to five times depending if one is crossing Jefferson or 15th, is only a small part of the recently completed construction.

During the fall term of 2008, students learned to walk between the bike racks behind Callahan Hall, cross 15th Street, and duck under the awning at Kerr to avoid the ongoing construction at the intersection. They probably didn't realize that the fenced-off area was only the wrap-up construction of a much larger project which had broken ground in June of 2008.

According to Zach Golik, an associate civil engineer for OSU's Facilities Services who was also the construction manager for the renovation, the plan to renovate the intersection began in the fall term of 2007.

When asked what motivated the renovation, Golik stated that the construction served the purposes of two projects. One was OSU's response to a Corvallis city mandate that 14th and 15th streets should be updated to include bike lanes to make it safer for bicyclists.

The other was a city project to add bus turn lanes because city buses could not turn north in this area, as the turn was too tight for their size. With turn lanes and a wider street, buses could save time by not having to detour several blocks around to avoid the tight corner.

This also opened the opportunity for a transit hub close to a major location on campus - Kerr Administration building.

It was in response to these requests and the general wish to create a "gateway" to the Oregon State campus when arriving on Jefferson Street from downtown that Facilities Services began planning in Fall 2007 for the renovation.

Golik laid out the general format that these projects follow, first with Oregon State recognizing the need for a renovation or remodeling. Next consultants for the design are hired, which for the renovation of the intersection of Jefferson Street and SW 15th Street included not only engineers but landscape architects as well. These consultants helped to internally plan the renovation before presenting it to the City of Corvallis for coding and permits.

Continued...

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