Seaside crews teamed up across work groups to replace deteriorated bridge supports and keep two bridges open to travelers.
(SEASIDE, OR) — ODOT crews have completed repairs to two Beaver Creek bridges on OR 47 near Vernonia, replacing deteriorated timber supports to keep the bridges open and operational.
The work involved replacing timber caps at mileposts 65 and 69. These large horizontal beams sit on top of the bridges’ vertical supports and help carry the weight of the structures. Replacing them is complex work that requires crews to carefully lift each bridge, remove the deteriorated timber and install a new cap.
Timber structures are common in the area. ODOT’s District 1, which includes Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties, has more than 50 of them. Timber structures in District 1 have an average age of 78 years and crews are seeing more problems as the timber ages.
Repair options are limited. District 1 crews often replace deteriorated timber with new timber because steel is vulnerable to rust in the coastal air. ODOT’s Technical Services staff work closely with maintenance crews to develop practical repairs.
The work was completed through ODOT’s Major Bridge Maintenance Program, which focuses on keeping bridges open and operational. ODOT employees generally perform routine highway and bridge maintenance. Larger preservation projects, including major bridge repairs and road reconstruction, are typically completed by contractors under ODOT oversight. The Major Bridge Maintenance Program supports repairs that ODOT maintenance teams can complete, sometimes with help from local contractors.
The two bridge repairs had a budget of $100,000 and remain under budget. Some final expenses, including material disposal, replacement tools and standard supplies, have not yet been added to the total. Completing these repairs with ODOT crews helped extend the life of the bridges and reduced costs. Early estimates indicated that a contracted project could have cost close to $1 million.
The Seaside Bridge Crew completed the work with support from District 1’s Sign Crew, Warrenton Maintenance and ODOT’s Technical Services staff. Employees reached across work groups to provide additional workers, engineering expertise and the approved plans needed to complete the work safely and efficiently.
Work began in late July and was completed Sept. 22. Traffic continued moving across both bridges during construction, with flaggers directing travelers through the work zones one direction at a time.
Proactive maintenance can prevent smaller concerns from becoming larger, more expensive problems. For example, repaving a typical rural two-lane highway costs about $600,000 to $900,000 per mile. If maintenance is underfunded and the road deteriorates to the point that it must be rebuilt, the cost increases dramatically to about $4 million to $7 million per mile.
These bridge repairs allowed ODOT to use the skills of its own crews, share resources across work groups and make the most of available maintenance funding.
To learn more about ODOT’s funding challenges, visit ODOT’s funding page.
Travelers can find the latest road conditions, traffic cameras and weather information at TripCheck.com, which provides real-time travel information to help you plan safe trips year-round.
