Sidewalks & Walkways in Medford, OR

Sidewalks & Walkways cover two kinds of work: the public sidewalk in front of your house and the private paths on your own lot. In Medford the public one is often your responsibility too. Section 3.010 of the city's municipal code makes the abutting property owner responsible for maintaining most sidewalks and keeping them safe for public use, and liable if neglect leads to an injury. A lifted or broken panel is both a trip hazard and a liability, and a raised slab beside a street tree is one of the most common culprits.

Common sidewalk problems in older neighborhoods

About 30% of Medford homes were built before 1970, according to Census data summarized by Point2Homes, and the sidewalks in front of them are often just as old. What we see most:

• Root heave: Street trees lift one panel above the next, leaving a trip edge.
• Settled panels: A section sinks where soil washed out or was never compacted.
• Cracks and broken corners: Thin, unreinforced panels breaking up along their edges.
• Scaling: The surface flaking off after years of wet winters and frosty mornings.
• Ponding: Low spots that hold water and freeze on cold mornings.

Permits for work in the right-of-way

Medford code section 3.040 requires a permit before anyone constructs, repairs or reconstructs a public sidewalk, curb or other area in the right-of-way, with the fee set by the City's fee schedule kept with the Engineering Division. We line that step up as part of the job and confirm any City requirements for the work, so you are not left sorting it out after the concrete is down.

How a sidewalk panel is replaced

We saw-cut the damaged panels at the joints, break them out and haul them away. If roots caused the lift, we look at what can be done at the root line, and you may need an arborist's input before cutting large roots of a street tree. The base is regraded and compacted, forms are set to match the neighboring panels, and new air-entrained concrete is poured, broom finished and jointed. The result is a flush, level walk that matches the slope of the rest of the block.

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Private walkways and paths

On your own property, walkways can be plain, colored, exposed aggregate or stamped. Common jobs are a wider front walk from the driveway to the door, a side yard path to the gate and trash cans, a path across the backyard, and a landing at the bottom of steps. We set a cross slope so water runs off instead of pooling, and keep walks below siding and door sills.

Steps and landings

Concrete steps get the hardest freeze-thaw exposure at most houses because water sits on the treads. Uneven rises are also a common tripping hazard. We form steps with consistent rise and run, a slight slope on each tread, and a broom finish for traction. Precast steps are an option for some entries.

Care and upkeep

Keep tree roots in mind when planting near walks. Seal walks every few years to keep water out of the surface. Use sand rather than salt on new concrete its first winter. Fill cracks early, before water gets under the panel and the base starts to wash out.