Heads up, Highway 101 travelers: get ready for a slowdown. Starting this Monday, construction kicks off on a culvert project some six miles south of Bandon, and it's going to squeeze your route down to a single lane, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Transportation. Prime contractor Farline Bridge Inc. is taking point on this one, setting up shop at the crossroads of U.S. 101 and Bearhead Mountain Lane.
For those counting on a quick drive between Bandon and Port Orford, from Sept. 9 to Sept. 19, it's time to dial back expectations because you're looking at up to 20-minute standstills, flaggers are going to be out there around the clock, doing their best to keep things moving, but this is a tough gig, the worksite crammed between a steep hillside, wetlands, and a meandering stream. The construction, aimed at replacing a worn-out culvert buried deep below the pavement, is no walk in the park; you're navigating tricky terrain to keep the road above from failing.
Brace yourselves for the weekend of Sept. 19, that's when the full force of the construction hits with U.S. 101 shutting down completely for the entire weekend, starting Friday night, and fingers crossed, reopening before you head back to work Monday morning. The detour's a real trek, involving a major loop on U.S. 199, Interstate 5, and Oregon 42, so if that's not up your alley, you'll need to rethink your weekend plans or brace for a long detour.
Predicted to run you another couple of weeks post-shutdown, with continued lane restrictions and short delays, the project is eyeing an October finish. The damage financially is clocking in at $1.25 million, but despite the funding quagmire that ODOT's maintenance and operations have been wading through, this one's still on track, fueled by capital funding pots that are earmarked just for this kind of work—no shuffling funds to pay for the day-to-day grind here.
For those wanting the nitty-gritty, you've got your info one click away on the project's webpage, or you can hit up ODOT's Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or via email to [email protected], getting the lowdown straight from the source. Just remember, the construction is a necessary evil, keeping the wheels of progress turning, even if it means your wheels are temporarily stopped.
