Bridge Widening Proposed to Ease Traffic at Highland Drive and Barnett Road Intersection

MEDFORD, Ore. (Nov. 7, 2025) — The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is seeking approval from the City of Medford for a conditional use permit to widen the Highland Drive bridge over Larson Creek as part of a traffic improvement project aimed at easing congestion at one of the city’s busiest intersections.

The project, formally titled CUP-25-325: Larson Creek Bridge Conditional Use Permit, calls for widening the existing bridge by 13 feet to accommodate a new dual right-turn lane and a 12-foot shared-use path. The upgrade is designed to relieve the morning traffic backup from northbound Highland Drive to Barnett Road, which frequently spills into the nearby Interstate 5 interchange.

“This project addresses one of the most congested intersections in [south] Medford during peak commute hours,” the report notes, adding that the city will contribute $2.5 million toward construction. The improvement is listed as a key project in Medford’s 2018–2038 Transportation System Plan.

According to ODOT’s application, the bridge expansion will not alter the creek’s flow or require state or federal fill or removal permits. The work will occur outside Larson Creek’s ordinary high-water line and will include environmental mitigation measures to protect the riparian corridor, which is home to federally listed coho salmon.

Construction will involve removing four trees within the riparian zone, which will be replaced with at least eight native tree cuttings planted upstream. Erosion and sediment controls such as fencing, mulching, and seeding will also be used to minimize short-term impacts.

While the project will increase impervious surface area, ODOT says stormwater runoff will be treated through an existing detention pond and water-quality swale built as part of the South Medford Interchange project.

Bridge design plans call for prestressed concrete girders and a cast-in-place deck that will tie into the 2007 structure. The widening will be built to current seismic standards, supported by steel H-piles, and designed under the 2020 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and the 2024 Oregon Bridge Design Manual.

Because the work occurs within Medford’s designated riparian corridor, the project requires a conditional use permit under city code. The Land Development Committee will review the proposal at its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.

If approved, the widening will improve traffic heading eastbound on Barnett from the I-5 Exit 27 interchange, without restricting access to the Bear Creek Greenway, according to the city’s planning analysis.