City to start work after Labor Day on Monroe-Friendly bike route.

Byline: Matt Cooper The Register-Guard

A bike route that opens in mid-October will give bicyclists a straight shot between southern Eugene and the Willamette River, the city says.

Work will start after Labor Day on the Monroe-Friendly bikeway project, a nearly 30-block stretch going from Friendly Street and 28th Avenue north to the riverside West Bank Trail at Owens Rose Garden.

The city has wanted such a bike route for more than 25 years, public works spokesman Eric Jones said. The $440,000 project is funded mostly with state and federal dollars, he added.

When the route is completed, bicyclists will share the roadway with vehicles. The route will be marked with signs at intersecting bike paths and major cycling routes, and reflective markings will be installed in travel lanes to indicate shared use for bikes and cars.

The route connects the West Bank Trail along the Willamette River, Monroe Street, 13th Avenue past the Lane Events Center and Friendly Street to 28th Avenue.

In addition to providing a north-south connector between southwest Eugene and downtown, the bikeway will connect to the Fern Ridge Path and the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail, the city said.

As part of the project, the intersection of Eighth Avenue, Monroe Street and Blair Boulevard will be rebuilt for better safety, Jones said. There will be temporary closures in the area during the work.

The project also will create public space at Eighth and Monroe streets, where landscaping, art and other amenities will be added thanks to a neighborhood grant, Jones said. For more information, call 682-5300.