At its Jan. 25 meeting, the Cottage Grove City Council heard details regarding applications to create a scenic byway and scenic bikeway to join the communities of Cottage Grove, Veneta, Creswell and Junction City.

The application, prepared by the Lane County Community and Economic Development Department, details a byway and bikeway to concurrently travel a route on Territorial Highway from Highway 99 West south of Monroe in a loop through Junction City, southward past Sweet Cheeks, Hinman, Iris Hill, King Estate and Chateau Lorane Wineries, east to Creswell, then southward into and past Cottage Grove to connect with the Covered Bridge Tour route. City Manager Richard Meyers said the City has met with officials from Lane County, the Oregon Department of Transportation and Travel Lane County and has pledged general support for the project, pending more concrete details.

One area of concern, Meyers said, involves Territorial Highway itself, a road featuring twists and turns and areas that aren’t always friendly to cyclists.

“Just because a bikeway may exist,” he said, “that doesn’t create any special concessions for bicyclists. The route can be opened up for the priority of both types of transportation.”

In a letter to Meyers last week, Lane County Community and Economic Development’s Sarah Mizejewski echoed those concerns:

“You are good to mention Highway 99 as problematic for the bikeway,” she wrote. “Territorial Highway has heavier auto traffic in some areas and less than others…While road conditions are not great, it is our hope that a successful proposal will enable us to dig into the issue of how to make Territorial a safer transportation facility for cyclists.”

A significant change from an earlier application involves Cottage Grove specifically. Instead of heading into Cottage Grove southbound via Highway 99, route planners now intend the paths to cross Interstate 5 in Creswell, then take Sears Road south to Mosby Creek Road and access the Row River Trail. Northbound travelers would follow the bike path into town before taking Main Street west toward Lorane. Another loop would likely be added that would take the Row River Trail path to Dorena and Culp Creek and return down Shoreline Drive.

A scenic byway and bikeway would come at no cost but considerable advantage to Cottage Grove, Meyers said.

“There is a lot of tourist potential there,” he said.

Meyers also said he hoped the Covered Bridge Tour route could either be incorporated into the scenic byway/bikeway plan or become its own scenic byway/bikeway. The application for the scenic byway and bikeway was turned in to meet a Jan. 31 deadline.