| OR 38: Elk Creek to Hardscrabble Creek Bridge Replacement |
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| Project Information |
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OR 38: Elk Creek to Hardscrabble Creek
Overview
Map
Traffic Conditions
Project Fact Sheet
Project Initiation Notice
November 2007 Newsletter
June 2007 Newsletter
Contacts
Project Update
Over the winter, crews have been busy building supports for the new north half of the Elkton bridge (pictured below), the foundation of the replacement bridge over Elk Creek at milepost 38, and preparing for “rapid replacement” of the bridges on either end of the Elk Creek tunnel. This spring, the contractor is beginning construction of the new Hardscrabble Creek bridge, west of Drain.
Also over the winter, students at Elkton High School have designed decorative bridge pylons (posts marking the entrance to the bridge) that will be placed on the replacement Elkton bridge at the eastern entrance to the town. This is the first bridge in the state, and possibly the nation, for which the design for the pylons has been entirely developed by the local high school students. The students were asked to develop designs that reflect their community’s unique history and culture. The pylon designs feature Douglas firs and grapevines to honor the town’s historic logging industry and the emerging vineyard and winery industry. Each pylon will also feature a carving of a different local animal to highlight the area’s wildlife. A concept drawing for one of the selected animals, an elk, is pictured below. The pylons, one of which will include a time capsule built by Elkton High School students, will be carved on site this fall. The time capsule will be filled with items selected by students in each of the K-12 grades in Elkton.
Overview
ODOT has begun a project to replace five bridges on the 14 mile stretch of Highway 38 between Elkton and Drain. The bridge replacements will allow Highway 38 to continue to serve as a key route for local travel as well as regional business and tourism. The five bridges that will be removed were built between 1929 and 1932 and require replacement due to structural and functional deficiencies. The new bridges will meet modern design standards for heavier loads, and include safety improvements such as wider shoulders. A left turn lane from Highway 38 westbound onto Highway 138 southbound will also be added to enhance traffic safety.
On-site work began in June 2007 and will continue through 2009. The project budget for design and construction is $46 million. Funding for this project is provided by the Oregon Transportation Investment Act.
The bridges that will be replaced are:
o The bridge over Elk Creek at the eastern entrance to Elkton at milepost 36.
o The bridge over Elk Creek at milepost 38.
o The bridges over Elk Creek at the east and west end of the Elk Creek tunnel at milepost 39.
o The bridge over Hardscrabble Creek at milepost 47.
Map
Click to Enlarge
Traffic conditions
Throughout most of the construction, and barring accidents, possible delays on Highway 38 should not exceed 20 minutes. Even when work is taking place on multiple bridges simultaneously, your normal travel time through the corridor should not increase by more than 20 minutes. Flaggers will direct motorists, expediting traffic flow more efficiently than if directed by a traffic signal.
Plans were developed to ensure that trucks and RVs are able to use the Highway 38 bridges during construction. Arrangements were made with local emergency service providers to swiftly move emergency vehicles through the work zones.
In order to complete construction of the Elk Creek tunnel replacement bridges east of Elkton, there will be a few occasions when Highway 38 will be closed between Drain and Elkton. Signs will detour traffic using Highway 138 and Interstate 5 when the closures are in effect. You can always visit www.TripCheck.com or call 511 for up to date road conditions.
- Workers will close Highway 38 at the Elk Creek tunnel outside of Elkton from 9 p.m. Monday, April 28 to 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 29 to install a culvert.
- Highway 38 will be closed at the tunnel from 9 p.m. Friday, May 9 to 6 a.m. Monday, May 12 during the replacement of the bridge on the east end of the tunnel.
- Replacement of the bridge on the west end of the tunnel will be scheduled to take place mid-week in July or August—on a Monday from 9 p.m. to a Thursday at 6 a.m.— to avoid disrupting the high volumes of summer weekend traffic.
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| For More Information |
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Dan Latham
ODOT Region 3
Public Information Officer
(541) 957-3601
Dan.Latham@odot.state.or.us
Kate Bodane
Zetlin Strategic Communications
Public Involvement Specialist
(503) 452-6882
kbodane@zetlin.com
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