Prineville bridge replacement brings 3 weeks of detours

Prineville drivers will face a closure of Combs Flat Road from U.S. Highway 26 to Southeast Second Street, starting Saturday for a three-week, accelerated replacement of the Ochoco Creek Bridge, ODOT said Wednesday.

Limited local access will be provided to Mountain View Drive, the department said.

Carter & Company, Inc., under contract with the Oregon Department of Transportation, is working to replace the Ochoco Creek Bridge on Oregon Highway 380/Northeast Combs Flat Road between Mason Drive and Mountain View Drive on the east end of Prineville.

The new bridge is being built immediately to the east of the existing crossing. During the closure, the old bridge will be removed, footings will be placed, and the new bridge slid into place. New curb, sidewalk, and paving will also be constructed during the closure.

The closure is expected to be in effect for a three-week period, until Oct. 22.

During the closure, traffic will be detoured via Southeast Lynn Blvd. and Main Street. Local access to St. Charles Prineville will be open to the south from Lynn Blvd. The project is expected to be complete by November .

ODOT officials said the age of the bridge is not known, but it was last significantly modified when it was widened in 1955. The latest inspection report rated the bridge as being in poor condition, due to factors such as freeze-thaw damaged and large cracks extending from girder lines and into each abutment.

The new bridge, in a $2.5 million project. will be nearly 26 feet wider than the one currently in place.

For more more information on this project, visit:

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION4/Pages/OR380-OchocoCrBridgeRelacement.aspx