A short section of Scottsburg West Road at the north end of the Scottsburg Bridge is closed for two years beginning Monday.
Dan Latham of the Oregon Department of Transportation said both the bridge and Oregon 38, the Umpqua Highway, will remain open at all times during construction.
Latham said the closure will affect the 200-foot spur of the road where it meets the highway. Motorists traveling on the road will be directed to drive under the bridge and use Main Street to reach the highway.
Latham said the new Scottsburg Bridge will be constructed just downriver of the old structure, requiring workers to realign this part of Scottsburg West Road.
Prime contractor Hamilton Construction began work on the $39.5 million bridge replacement project in early February. Latham said their first tasks involved removing trees, clearing brush, building access roads, demolishing a condemned house within the work zone, and lowering the roadway under the bridge.
Over the summer, contractors will build a work platform that extends into the Umpqua River. They will also build an approach road to the platform and a retaining wall along Scottsburg West Road.
Construction of the new bridge will likely begin later this year. All work is scheduled to be completed by 2022.