The Fern Ridge Bike Path between Green Hill Road, Royal Ave, and Terry Street Bridge in Eugene is getting a facelift this month.
The bulk of the work includes fixing large cracks and grade breaks caused by ground settling. The project also includes installing solar powered LED lights along the bike path. Public Affairs Manager Eric Jones says the lights are unique because each one has its own solar panel.
Jones: “The lighting panels and batteries are designed to work on the shortest day of the year in Eugene. And the cost of putting in this little under a half mile of lighting is about equivalent to the cost of putting in the old-fashioned or the type of lights that were powered by electricity because we don’t have to trench and put cable in the ground.”
Jones says there are plenty of signs directing bike path users toward alternate routes during construction. The path should be open by February, although the lighting work won’t be done until April. Funding for the project came from a federal grant and local system development fees.
copyright, 2014 KLCC