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| I-5 Saginaw overpass project completed |
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| 05/24/2010 |
May 24, 2010 For more information: Rick Little (541) 726-2442
05-114-R2 email at: mailto:richard.little@odot.state.or.us
No more “low bridge” challenge for truckers on I-5 between Creswell and Cottage Grove
COTTAGE GROVE — Truckers on Interstate 5 won’t have to worry about a low bridge anymore at the Saginaw interchange south of Cottage Grove.
Contractors for the Oregon Department of Transportation have finished building a new Saginaw Road overpass bridge with a vertical clearance of 17 feet 4 inches on I-5. The old overpass had a vertical clearance of only 14 feet, 7 inches, which required taller loads on I‑5 to detour around the low bridge. At least twice a year, drivers of taller loads forgot to compensate for the low bridge and hit the overpass.
“Cleaning up after truck crashes and repairing the overpass was a recurring headache for ODOT’s maintenance crews,” said Steve Narkiewicz, ODOT’s project manager. “The damage also cost trucking companies in repairs and delays. Now, most permitted loads can safely breeze through the interchange with no worries.”
In addition to the new Saginaw Road overpass bridge, ODOT contractor M.J. Hughes Construction Co. also replaced two smaller spans on I-5, at Brown Creek and at Camas Swale between Creswell and Cottage Grove.
The Brown Creek and Camas Swale bridges both cross valuable wetlands. ODOT maintained strict environmental standards during construction to protect the wetlands. By managing storm water runoff, ODOT limited soil erosion and pollutants that could enter the wetlands.
The $16.2 million project was funded by the Oregon Transportation Investment Act.
# # ODOT # #
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