| U.S. 26 traffic shifts to new bridge near Mt. Vernon |
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| ODOT News |
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ODOT Region 5 News
Oct. 28, 2009
MT. VERNON — Drivers on U.S. 26 east of Mt. Vernon should expect travel lanes to shift to the newly constructed John Day River (Coles) Bridge as early as Thursday, Oct. 29 to allow contractors for the Oregon Department of Transportation to replace the second half of the bridge. The bridge is located at milepost 155.8 in Grant County.
This traffic change will happen between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastbound and westbound traffic will move from the old structure to the new structure to the south. Flaggers will direct traffic. Motorists should expect delays and use caution when traveling in the work zone. No oversize loads will be permitted. The projected project completion is spring 2011.
Following the switch, traffic will be limited to alternating one-way traffic controlled by signals. Motorists are asked to plan for delays, drive with extra care and obey the temporary traffic signals during the construction work. “Even if there appears to be no oncoming traffic, motorists need to stop at the signals when they are red and wait for the green light,” said ODOT Public Information Officer Tom Strandberg. “Traffic fines are double in work zones, so please be patient.”
This work is part of the ODOT’s McKay Creek to Silvies Slough Project, which will ensure continued safety and mobility along the U.S. 395 corridor. Wildish Standard Paving Co., based in Eugene, Ore., is the lead contractor. Construction will be finished by fall 2011.
The bridge replacements and repairs are part of the Oregon Department of Transportation's 10-year, $3 billion Oregon Transportation Investment Act program. OTIA funds will repair or replace hundreds of bridges, pave and maintain city and county roads, improve and expand interchanges, add new capacity to Oregon's highway system, and remove freight bottlenecks statewide. Based on 2008 dollars, about 14 family-wage jobs are sustained for every $1 million spent on transportation construction in Oregon. Each year during the remainder of the OTIA program, we estimate that construction projects will sustain an average of 4,100 family-wage jobs. Drivers should visit www.TripCheck.com or call 511 for current traffic advisories.
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