Thank you to everyone who showed up last week for the “Meet the Contractor’ event. It was a great launching point for the 33 million dollar Highway 101/6 Project, and gave business owners the opportunity to rub elbows with the friendly folks from Oregon State Bridge Construction (OSBC) and ask some direct questions – all while grabbing a complimentary rootbeer float courtesy of Pelican Brewing Co. and the Tillamook County Creamery Association.
During the event, OSBC unveiled their two-year construction schedule. While the dates are approximate and may change under circumstances, we will be receiving a three-week ‘look-ahead’ schedule at the regular construction meetings and will keep you posted on key changes as the project proceeds.
A much-discussed topic was access to businesses during construction. It was highlighted that, throughout the project, sustaining two lanes of traffic on both Main and Pacific is a key goal. There may be temporary lane closures, but there will not be a bypass around the downtown. The couplets will flow, although parking on Main or Pacific may be removed for extended periods of time. Some side streets, such as Second Avenue where the new plaza is being built, may face extended closure while it is being reconstructed.
There is also a contractual requirement that ADA-compliant pedestrian routes be maintained through downtown. While the exact configurations of those routings remain to be determined, we will let you know as soon as possible.
In summary, the project schedule was developed in response to commitments made both to the city and business community. These include:
- Avoiding construction that impacts traffic in the downtown couplet area during the summer months
- When working in the downtown area, the contractor is limited to replacing the sidewalk on one side of the roadway at a time within a city block
- Access must be provided to one corner of a city block at all times.
- Access to business doorways must be maintained.
OSBC also recently announced that nightwork has begun at the intersections of First Street with Main and Pacific. This will continue into the next week with intersection work on Third and Pacific. The nightwork is to prepare for the new signal light installations and may involve concrete-cutting, drilling, and back-up beepers, in addition to bright lighting. It might get loud, so have patience because it will be short lived.