Summer Construction Season is Here

(SALEM, Ore) — Summer is here, and so are detours, lane restrictions and street closures. The inconvenience is part of the price for better roads and improved safety.

Salem's most high-profile, public construction project this year is the Peter Courtney Minto-Brown Island Pedestrian Bridge, which will connect Riverfront Park with Minto-Brown Island. But like any summer, work crews are busy fixing pavement and doing other infrastructure improvements.

Brian Martin, an assistant city engineer, provided a roundup of construction projects Salem residents may notice as they cruise around the city. Here are seven good reasons for traffic delays you might experience.

1. South River Road Bank Stabilization

To reduce the danger of landslides along River Road S., about 400 cubic yards of rock and soil will be removed from a ridge starting in late summer, Martin said.

The hillside on the east side of River Road S., south of Owens Street S., has a history of landslides. In December, a landslide hit a moving car, flipping the vehicle and causing minor injuries to its driver.

The bank stabilization project at the site near Owens Street S. will reduce the hazards by removing woody materials, excavating loose rocks and replacing damaged rock screen material.

Seventy trees will be removed because their roots are loosening rocks and contributing to the unstable terrain, Martin said. In addition, about 1800 feet of fencing along River Road S. will be replaced.

Salem's allocation of state gas tax revenue is paying for the $400,000 project. The work is expected to begin in late August and finish in October.

A portion of the work will require the closure of River Road S. for approximately two weeks. Actual closure dates will be identified after a contractor is selected for the work.

2. Skyline Road S Corridor Improvements

Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists will soon have safer passage along the Skyline Road S. corridor. Work crews have started installing improvements on Skyline Road S. between Kuebler Boulevard S and Liberty Road S.

"This one had just a narrow, two-lane roadway," Martin said. "This project widens it, adds bike lanes and puts in sidewalks."

The upgrades also include adding a center turn lane, curbs, storm drains, street lights, as well as Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations, he said.

At a total cost of $5.6 million, the project is one of many financed by the 2008 Keep Salem Moving Streets and Bridges Bond. Making improvements to the Skyline Road S corridor was a priority because of conflicts between traffic and pedestrians. Three schools are nearby.

Work on the corridor started in the spring and is expected to be completed in November. Portions of Skyline Road S. are closed to through traffic until September 8.

The road remains open for local access for businesses and residences.

Contractor for the project is North Santiam Paving.

3. Winter Street SE Bridge Over Shelton Ditch

Construction has started on a new Winter Street SE Bridge, which crosses the Shelton Ditch near Salem Hospital.

Built in 1928, the bridge sustained severe damage in the January 2012 flood. The flood damage made the $3.3 bridge replacement project eligible for federal highway funds. Savings from the 2008 Streets and Bridges Bond provided local matching funds.

Salem resident will see few aesthetic differences between the old and new bridge, Martin said. The new structure will replicate the old bridge's historical features, such as its pedestrian overlook and railings.

Winter Street SE will be closed to traffic between Bellevue Street SE (State Highway 22) and the northerly parking lot of the Salem Hospital from June 8 through Nov. 30.

HP Civil Inc. is building the bridge.

4. High Street NE Bridge Over Mill Creek

Extensive repairs will be made on the High Street NE Bridge over Mill Creek, another bridge damaged in the January 2012 flood, Martin said.

The $700,000 project is funded with a combination of Federal Highway Administration funds and savings from the 2008 Streets and Bridges Bond. Work crews will fill holes under the bridge abutments and foundations, as well as making other improvements to protect the structure.

Construction starts July and continues through November. High Street will remain open during construction, but periodic lane closures will begin in July.

Contractor for the project is HP Civil, Inc.

5. Eola Drive NW Pavement Rehabilitation

A road rehabilitation project in west Salem will mean a smoother ride for motorists when it's completed later this year.

After funding more than 40 initial projects, saving from the 2008 Streets and Bridges Bond paid for a second round of improvements. Those additional projects include more pavement work on Eola Drive NW, finishing the segment from Kingwood Drive NW to Edgewater Street NW.

"The pavement had taken a substantial beating," Martin said. It was logical to extend the rehabilitation work, he added.

A combination of pavement grinding overlay installation and road reconstruction will fix about 2,000 linear feet of Eola Drive NW. The $1.4 million project will include construction of new sidewalks on the east side of the street and replacement of existing sidewalk on the west side. Fiber optic lines will also be extended.

A southbound lane closure begins June, 19 and is scheduled to end in early September. Construction will likely continue into November.

Contactor for the West Salem project is North Santiam Paving.

6. Trelstad Avenue SE To Turner Road SE Waterline Project

Following up last year's completion of the Mill Creek Reservoir, the city is making a $2.4 million investment for a new water main.

The 7,300 feet of 18-inch diameter water main will provide water distribution capacity along Turner Road, Boone Road, 36th Avenue, Trelstad Avenue, 32nd Avenue and Marietta Street SE.

The water main will support future development around the Mill Creek Corporate Center, a mostly state-owned property bounded by Highway 22, Cordon Road, Kuebler Boulevard and Aumsville Highway.

A combination of water rates and water system development charges is providing funds for waterline project. Construction started this month and is expect to last until November. Periodic lane restrictions are expected in the area.

The contractor for the project is K & E Excavating.

7. Commercial Street SE and Capitol Street NE Pavement Rehabilitation

This Streets and Bridges Bond project will rehabilitate about a half-mile of pavement on Commercial Street SE between Ferry Street SE and Mission Street SE, Martin said.

As part of the $850,000 project, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant curb ramps will be constructed and a bulb-out will be added in the southwest corner of the Ferry Street intersection. Similar pavement work will occur on Capitol Street between the Mill Creek Bridge and D Street.

The work will begin in July and continue through November. Commercial Street SE and Capitol Street NE will remain open during construction, but lane restrictions may slow travel through the area, primarily at night.

Please watch out for our road workers, slow down and give them alot of room. Working Oregon roads is one of the deadliest jobs in the state.

Source; City of Salem