Traffic detour in place as road work begins on Empire Blvd., Jan. 14

Motorists traveling between Coos Bay and Charleston should give themselves extra time to reach their destination as road work begins on Empire Blvd. For the next month, the southbound lane of Empire Blvd. will be closed between Newmark Ave. and Fulton Ave. Motorists traveling from Coos Bay to Charleston will detour from Newmark onto Marple St. and Fulton Ave. The southbound lane closure will allow workers to make repairs to storm drains and sewer lines. Northbound traffic will stay on Empire Blvd. during this construction phase. Motorists should expect congestion and brief delays in the work zone. Flaggers will provide traffic control as needed. The street improvement project involves a one-mile stretch of Empire Blvd. (Cape Arago Highway) between Newmark Ave. and Wisconsin Ave. Construction involves rebuilding the roadway, adding bike lanes, parking spaces, new sidewalks and streetlights. A new bus shelter will be constructed at each end of the project area and the culvert near Fulton Ave. will be replaced. Construction is scheduled to be completed this fall. Access to all local businesses will be maintained during construction. ODOT and the City of Coos Bay are partnering on the construction of the $5 million Empire Blvd: Newmark Ave. to Wisconsin Ave. Street Improvements project. Project updates will be provided by e-mail. Anyone interested in receiving construction and traffic information should contact Dan.Latham@odot.state.or.us (subject line: “Empire Blvd. updates”). Additional information is available on www.TripCheck.com.