Bypass dredges up fears of flooding

Neighbors of a proposed culvert as part of a bypass on Highway 62 say the water table there is too high

A proposed Highway 62 bypass has alarmed some residents who worry the $125 million project could increase flooding in an already soggy area.

"No way in the world are they going to put in a culvert big enough to handle the water we get in a rainy year," said 72-year-old Meryle Johnston, who lives off Justice Road.

Officials from the Oregon Department of Transportation presented their latest ideas for a 3.5-mile expressway to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.

Transportation officials acknowledge the route has issues that will require more study, such as flood control, farmland encroachment and property-purchase negotiations. . .

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