Hello Tillamook,
Chief Terry Wright sent out this Press Release, which lines out the upcoming big traffic changes nicely:
TO: All Community Members, Partners and Businesses
FROM: Chief Terry Wright
RE: Phase 2a ODOT traffic Change
DATE: July 31, 2017
During the nighttime of Thursday, August 3rd, 2017, THIS THURSDAY Night, there will be traffic changes in the construction zone that WILL impact you. These are scheduled changes in the project. This pattern will be for about a month. There will be other changes in the future that will impact everyone. You can also access the current Chamber diagram for information on the project and upcoming changes at http://tillamookchamber.org/highwayproject.
The first major change is eastbound 1st Street, going towards Main Street from Stillwell Avenue. For at least the next month, when you get to Main Street, you can only turn right, south on Main Avenue through Downtown. You cannot turn left to go to North Main Avenue towards Fred Meyer, Northbound. If you are on First Street, the only way to go north is to go south to Third Street, through Downtown then left on Third Street and left on Pacific Avenue.
If you can avoid 1st Street and get onto Third Street, at least from Stillwell, and go east to Pacific, it will save you trying to drive Downtown and try to get from the right lane to the left lane on Main Street to turn left on 3rd in a few short blocks of heavy traffic. We will add back a second lane to 3rd Street between Pacific and Main to add stacking room. We are also working with ODOT to add time to the eastbound traffic to clear more vehicles.
The second major change will be at Pacific and First. The new connector from First to North Main will open. If you are on Pacific and want to go north to north Main, when you get to First Street, when you have the green light, you can just drive straight through the intersection on the new connector, through the project area. If you are westbound on First Street, approaching Pacific, in the right lane, you will turn right at Pacific onto the new connector and not have to go all the way to Main to turn right. There will now be only one light change conflict and not two like it is now at Main and First.
Most importantly, you need to focus driving through the construction zone now. There are going to be minor changes and delays constantly. The contractors are desperately trying to get as much done before it starts raining. The more they get done now, the less delays there will be in the future.
Some quick bullet points:
New stretch of Pacific between First and the new 101 bridge opens Friday
NO northbound traffic on Main
Return to two lane traffic on Third between Main and Pacific
This is not the permanent traffic pattern- things will continue to change as the project moves forward.
