Westfir Road Old Barnard Bridge now open, Oct. 3

Bridge closed for emergency repair on Aug. 14 – ODOT release – October 1, 2019, WESTFIR – Old Barnard Bridge on Westfir Road has reopened. Extensive repairs to the foundation under a footing of the bridge are complete and water has returned to the channel. Westfir Road is located at OR 58 McKenzie Highway milepost 31.06, across from the U.S. Forest Service Ranger Station. ODOT bridge inspection dive crews conducting a routine inspection found a hole under the footing and the bridge was immediately closed for safety. Working with our partners at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Marine Board, and Army Corp of Engineers, a repair plan was quickly developed. Crews stabilized the bridge with steel beams, then water was diverted from the side channel by a dam made up of bags filled with gravel. Logs and debris from last winter’s storms and landslides were removed. A form was built around the footing of the bridge, filled with concrete, and covered with rock. Once the concrete set, the water was released back through the channel. The gravel released from the bags will be left to provide fish habitat.