February 23, 2023 3:30 a.m.

Douglas County Commissioners Tom Kress, Chris Boice and Tim Freeman have announced the commencement of the construction phase of the Rice Creek Bridge Project.

A release said the Public Works Department will manage the project and work with contractor, Carter and Company Inc. to build a completely new bridge in the existing location. The new structure will feature two vehicular travel lanes, wide shoulders to allow for pedestrian, bicycle, and other non-motorized traffic and improved safety features. The bridge replacement project is expected to wrap up by the end of 2023, but is subject to delay depending on weather and material availability.

Built in 1977, the existing steel stringer bridge has a concrete deck and is listed in poor condition. It is located on Rice Creek Road, about 5.5 miles south of Dillard, where it takes traffic and utilities over Rice Creek. The release said it was determined in 2014 that the bridge had insufficient capacity to carry the heavier modern vehicles and equipment loads. At that time, the bridge was reduced to single lane traffic while additional beams were installed under the structure’s approach spans. The bridge was reopened but since that time the large steel girders in the main span of the bridge have begun to deflect which is a sign of overloading. Without replacement, the bridge would continue to fatigue and routine maintenance would not be enough to keep it open for traffic.

In 2019, Douglas County was awarded a grant of just over $3.2 million from the Oregon Department of Transportation through the State Funded Local Projects Program. The remaining funding will come from Douglas County’s Public Works Fund.

The release said the contractor has been moving equipment into the work zone, clearing brush near both ends of the bridge and installing signs for the last few weeks. They plan to work on half of the bridge at a time, and provide a single signalized lane of travel for local access. Intermittent road closures are anticipated throughout the construction process, traffic will not be held for longer than 20 minutes at a time.

Motorists are asked to proceed with caution, be patient and obey all posted signs, signals, warnings, and flagger instructions as they travel through all road construction zones. Call the Public Works Department at 440-4208 for more information.