Now that Labor Day has come and gone, the City of Tillamook is finally fully involved in the US 101/OR 6 Highway Intersection Project. The reader board signs are up, the warnings about night work have been circulated, and the men in orange vests and hard hats are cropping up everywhere. It is time for this bulletin to go weekly.
Every Tuesday, except for delays during holidays, we will be receiving the contractor’s schedule revisions with all of their proposed activities for the following three weeks.
Today’s three week look-ahead revealed that the night work warnings would not be going into effect right away, but that there will be daytime lane restrictions on Pacific Avenue between 8 AM and 4 PM instead. It is anticipated that Pacific Avenue will be restricted to one lane of traffic from 4th to 1st Street for the foreseeable future as drilling for temporary signalization poles, preliminary drainage, and other preparatory work commences. This may cause some traffic queuing, particularly in the afternoons. The 911 Center has been alerted to this change and emergency adjustments will be made.
The balance of the three-week schedule is focused on tasks in the new bridge area with clearing and grubbing, removal of old non-functioning bridge structures and contaminated soils, and installation of a new work bridge.
The big heads up for the downtown businesses is that the full closure of Second Street between Main and Pacific is scheduled to start on September 26th, the same time that sidewalk demo work on the westside of Pacific Avenue from 4th to 3rd will commence. The full closure will allow for the total demolition of Second Street and its sidewalks. While vehicles will be prohibited, one access point for pedestrians will be maintained for Second Street businesses which do not have an alternative access off of another street.
The closure is anticipated to remain in place for over 90 days as the street is rebuilt into a Plaza that allows for downtown events and activities to occur on a leveled curb-free, danceable surface which can be closed off and accommodate performance stages and features such a fountains in the near future.
Hang in there and standby for a little turbulence as we ascend to our construction attitude.