by
Helen M. Davis When the reader boards went up last month along Territorial, on Lawrence Road and on Clear Lake Road near Alvadore Road, motorists heaved a collective moan at the news that a mile and a half stretch of Clear Lake would be closed for a month. What was the county going to do that was making this necessary? Would it really be just for a month? These questions were on the minds of everyone who has to travel Clear Lake Road with regularity. For some, the closure no doubt brought back memories of the early 2000’s when Clear Lake was closed along the same stretch while the dam was rebuilt and for those who were here in 1993, it may even have brought to mind the massive repaving and rebuilding of Clear Lake Road from Territorial to Greenhill Road. In this case, however, the project is not quite so ambitious. According to Devin Ashbridge, Public Information Officer for Lane County Public Works, this closure, is a result of work needing to be done on the bridge that crosses the Long Tom River by Kirk Road. The concrete, Ashbridge says, is beginning to fail so workers are hydroblasting it off of the deck. Once done with this step, a new structural concrete overlay will be put on the bridge and the ends will be paved to facilitate a smooth transition to the remainder of the roadway. Work is scheduled to wrap up and the road reopened on November 16th. Ashbridge says that while the majority of the task is expected to be completed at that time, motorists may see “spot work” here and there that should not have much of an impact on their commute to and from Eugene. In the interim, those who travel Clear Lake will have to continue to take the detour down Territorial to Franklin Road to Alvadore Road to Clear Lake, adding approximately 10 minutes to their commute. It will be a welcome site when the reader boards are towed away, the barricades are removed, and the road is reopened. But, for all the inconvenience of having to drive out of the way, a new, safer bridge is definitely worth it.
1 Comment
Shane
11/17/2023 03:45:14 pm
Why not update this site if things are behind schedule? I get things happen, but people are wasting their time trying to go clear lake to find out on the 17th it’s still closed.
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