ODOT release – The Isthmus Slough Bridge, connecting Eastside & Bunker Hill in Coos Bay, will be closed the next two weekends. The first closure, which was announced last week, is scheduled begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 1, and continue until 6 a.m. on Monday, June 4. A second bridge closure has been scheduled from 8 p.m. on Friday, June 8, to 6 a.m. on Monday, June 11. A nine-mile detour will be in place both weekends. From Eastside, traffic will detour along Olive Barber Road, Ross Inlet Road, and Coos-Sumner Lane to U.S. 101 (Oregon Coast Highway). Motorists should look for detour signs and observe the speed limit along the route. Pedestrian access across the bridge will be maintained throughout both weekends, although brief delays may be necessary. Flaggers will provide assistance to pedestrians and disabled individuals crossing the bridge. ODOT is coordinating with local emergency services to provide police, fire and ambulance coverage both weekends in the Eastside area. The closures will allow prime contractor Hamilton Construction to replace the bridge’s steel deck grates, paint the ends of the drawbridge and replace the wooden sidewalks. Two additional weekend closures will be scheduled later this summer. The project originally called for 10 nighttime bridge closures. However, the weekend closures will give the contractor more time since they will be able to work around the clock without moving their equipment, materials and traffic control devices at the end of each shift. The Isthmus Slough Bridge Rehabilitation project will repair and resurface the deck, modify the deck drains, reconstruct expansion joints, seal cracks on the concrete surface of the bridge, repair welds, replace bolts, remove rust, and replace the electrical system. Construction on the $9 million project is scheduled for completion in October 2019. For more information, visit the project website at www.IsthmusSloughBridge.com.
