May 25, 2022 11:00 a.m. 

The new Scottsburg Bridge is open, though it’s not quite finished.

Dan Latham of the Oregon Department of Transportation said the bridge, which spans the Umpqua River sixteen miles east of Reedsport, was opened to a single lane of traffic at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Latham said over the next month, prime contractor Hamilton Construction will widen the northeast approach to the bridge with the goal of opening a second lane in July.

Oregon 38 motorists should watch for flaggers or automated flagging machines in the work zone. Most delays will be brief.

Lathan said construction on the project began in February 2020 and most work, including removal of the old bridge and a pair of work platforms, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this summer.

The ODOT release said the original Umpqua River Bridge opened in 1929, when vehicles were smaller and speeds were lower. In recent years, the bridge has been hit several times by trucks and recreational vehicles navigating the tight corners at each end. A crash in 2017 required a three-day bridge closure for emergency repairs.

Latham said in 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed legislation which provided nearly $40 million in funding for a new bridge in Scottsburg.

When completed, the new bridge will provide two 12-foot travel lanes and wide shoulders for pedestrians and bicycles. The new bridge alignment will straighten the curves at both ends of the bridges.

For more information on the project, go to: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=18578