Work on culvert, bridge could begin on short notice

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Repairs to the 229th Avenue bridge and replacement of the culvert on Timber Road could begin with little or no advance public notice, as Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation crews may need to take immediate advantage of any favorable weather conditions.

Repairs to the 229th Avenue bridge over Butternut Creek, north of Rosa Road, may need to be done in two or three one- or two-day closures, rather than in one three-day closure, as originally planned. High water levels, strong winds and continued rainfall make repairs more difficult. While staff recognizes the importance of getting these repairs made as quickly as possible, employee safety comes first.

"Looking at the extended weather forecast, we don't see any long breaks in the rain or wind," said Dave Schamp, LUT Road Operations and Maintenance Manager. "This is going to make it tricky to find a wide enough window to replace the culvert and repair the bridge. We may have to initiate these repairs with less than 24-hour notice if we want to get this done on time."

Crews plan to have the deteriorating pile caps on the bridge replaced by Dec. 30. Once the work begins, the road will be closed to all traffic between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Outside of this time, the road will be open to through traffic.

The culvert on Timber Road was washed out by flooding rains on Dec. 7, resulting in closure of the road, one-half mile south of Strassel Road and 2 miles north of OR 6/Wilson River Highway. Crews hope to have the work completed before Jan. 4, when school holiday breaks end.

LUT staff continues to monitor weather conditions and will provide as much advance notice of repairs as possible. Repair dates will be posted on wc-roads.com as soon as information becomes available.

Washington County is committed to planning, building and maintaining a great transportation system, ensuring the safety of all roadway users, and operating the County roadway system in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.

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