Traffic started rolling on the new bridge at 11:40 p.m. Monday
OR 213 re-opened at 11:40 p.m. Monday after a four-day closure to install a new bridge in Oregon City. The road had been scheduled to re-open at 4 a.m. Tuesday.
The closure brought traffic delays on adjacent streets but also means motorists will see no more weekday lane closures over the course of the project, which is scheduled for completion by the spring of 2013.
“Thank you to all motorists who were inconvenienced by this delay,” said Oregon City Mayor Doug Neeley. “We certainly realize this closure required some patience but I think everyone will see real advantages when the project is complete.”
Contractors successfully removed a 130-foot long section of OR 213 and slid the new bridge—130 feet long and 140 feet wide and weighing 1.6 million pounds —into place. They completed the move and re-opened the road sooner than expected.
Mowat Construction Company and OBEC Consulting Engineers are reconstructing the intersection of OR 213, Washington Street and Clackamas River Drive, with Washington Street realigned to pass under OR 213. The project will relieve congestion, enhance safety and provide increased capacity for the growth expected over the next 20 years.
The Washington Street/Clackamas River Drive intersection with OR 213 is among the busiest signalized intersections in the state, with an average weekday traffic count of 65,000. When complete, the eight-phase traffic signal will need only two phases.
The rapid bridge construction process used to install the new bridge shortens the project by six months. Traditional construction would have meant closing at least two lanes on OR 213, which would have meant severe delays for 12 to 16 months.
For more information go to www.jughandleproject.com.