Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 19, 2020
By Pat Edwards
Lane County’s Public Works Department has issued another update for November on the Territorial Highway’s “Stony Point” project. Here is the text of what was sent to us this past week:
“Lane County’s primary goal this winter is to maintain safe travel through the construction site for all users.
“Construction is still underway at this time but varies based on weather conditions. We anticipate construction will shut down for the winter within the next month.
“The contractor is currently armoring the embankment on the north end of the construction site. There is noticeable road deterioration in this area and the armoring should prevent further decline. A large slide is not anticipated as this area is also supported by the tie-back stabilization system that was constructed early this summer. Additionally, the traffic signal has been moved further north and the length of the single travel lane has been extended to encompass this area.
“County staff and the contractor will continue to monitor the project site throughout the winter to ensure the road stays safe to travel.”
Much of the road through the work area has now been made into a single lane of traffic with either flaggers or a traffic light at each end. This has made those of us driving through it feel much safer as large cement dividers keep us away from the precipitous edges of the road, but we are finding that this week, since the length of the single lane has been extended and while flaggers are being used, the waits have gotten to be 20 to 30 minutes in length before cars at one end or the other are allowed to proceed. Residents who have posted about the long waits on Facebook suggest that anyone planning to go through that area add another half hour to their travel time schedule to ensure they get to appointments on time.
Another comment to that posting helped to explain that the long waits were caused by “the equipment working right next to the road needing to swing out into roadway while working.”
In any case, it appears that the actual work will only proceed for a short while longer before it is halted for the winter. At that time, the wait at traffic signals will be adjusted to shorter periods.
Like so many of you, our family is having to adjust our Thanksgiving plans this year. Those who know us have heard about our big family get-togethers here at our house, but we have decided to sacrifice this year’s celebration of thanks and family to help ensure that we can all be together next year. I’m going to put the big turkey in the oven as usual Thursday morning, and our two daughters, Gloria and Michele, and our son Rob, will come over in the afternoon to help Jim and me with the rest of the big meal. When it’s all prepared, each will take enough food to their own homes to feed their own small family groupings. Before we eat separately, however, all of us will join together with our daughter, Kelly, in Arizona, and other close family members at their own homes by Zoom so that we can say grace together and give our thanks for all that we do have and have been blessed with. We usually hold hands around our big dining room table to say grace, but this year, we’ll be connected in our hearts.
I am going to miss snuggling our babies and reading to our older great-grands as well as visiting with their mamas and papas so much this Thanksgiving Day, but we all feel that it’s something that we need to do, not only for ourselves, but for the health of our communities.
May God bless each and every one of you this holiday season. We are all in this together and if we do what we must now, our future Thanksgivings can return to true celebrations of thanks and love.
All Things Lorane 