By Sierra Lauder, Director of Events and Downtown Development, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce
Starting today, Wednesday September 5th, there will be 24 hour flagging through the intersection of First and Main. Additionally, trucks turning on to Main southbound will be rerouted to Ivy and down to Front to access Main. There is a large manhole that needs to be excavated and replaced in the southeast quadrant of the intersection, and while crews have been delaying until after Labor Day, the weather forecast that calls for rain as early as this weekend has made it necessary to expedite this work and get it done immediately. Hopes are high that the work may be completed ahead of schedule, but flaggers are set through Friday.
Sawcutting was completed Tuesday (September 4th) afternoon, so excavators will be onsite and removing materials as soon as lanes are closed and flaggers are in place on Wednesday morning.
Because of the depth and width of the hole, trucks will not have sufficient buffering room to make the south bound turn, regardless of whether approaching from the east or the west. A flagger will be stationed at Ivy and First to direct truck traffic north, where a right turn on to Front will allow for a right turn on to Main. Truck traffic approaching from the east will be directed to continue to the Ivy detour from the First and Main intersection. While the work will be concentrated during the day, the flagging, truck detour, and lane closures will be 24 hours.
The impending rain and shift in the focus of the project delayed the excavation of the south half of the block of Main between Third and Fourth. Final pours on the sidewalk on the north half of the block will be completed Wednesday and Thursday, with excavation on the south side expected to be reset for early next week.
A big change on the Second Street Plaza took place Tuesday afternoon s well. After concerns of tripping on the curbing associated with the ADA ramps, the City was able to work with ODOT to come up with a new design element that increases visibility while reducing curb crossing.
A view of the new triangular planting areas on the Plaza.
Triangular planting areas were cut today adjacent to each of the three ramps on the Plaza. The landscaping contractor arrived onsite this afternoon, and, in addition to these new planters, top soil and plants will begin to fill the bioswales and other greenscape spaces.
While this week will likely feature many frustrating moments, take heart in the knowledge that final paving is setting up prior to October 1, which means we are still very much on track to be wrapped up with traffic impacts in just a few short weeks.
Be safe.
A note from Tillamook Chief of Police, Terry Wright:
Please be advised that the speed limit on Pacific northbound over the new bridge in 20 mph. An astonishing number of local drivers have been ticketed for excessive speed through the area. There is a new crosswalk that stretches from Hoquarton Landing to the “gore”/old Shell Station in that 20 mph zone that drivers need to be aware of.
For more FAQ’s about the project, including conceptual drawings that help visualize the project in its entirety, you can check out the ODOT page: www.TillamookTraffic.org