Short section of Cape Arago Highway closed for one week after Labor Day, Sept. 3

CHARLESTON – A short section of Cape Arago Highway (Oregon 540) will be closed for one week after Labor Day as part of a culvert replacement project. The highway closure is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Third Creek (milepost 5.3), near the Charleston Fire District station. Local traffic will detour one mile along Grinnell Lane, Penny Road and Kellogg Lane. This is a residential area, with a speed limit of 25 mph, and motorists are advised to drive slowly and with caution. Flaggers will provide traffic control. Motorists traveling between Charleston and downtown Coos Bay can also use Libby Lane. The existing two-foot-diameter culvert is frequently blocked, which leads to flooding in the surrounding area. It will be replaced with a five-foot-wide pipe that provides better drainage. When the highway reopens the following week, motorists should watch for intermittent lane and shoulder closures for several days. All work on the $360,000 project is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.