ODOT will close highway for 3 weeks starting July 15
ODOT crews work to close the Rock Creek Bridge along the Condon-Heppner Highway. Spring thaws bring water and debris down Rock Creek, which have damaged the existing 90-year old bridge.
The Rock Creek Bridge is located on the Condon-Heppner Highway OR 206, approximately 10 miles east of Condon. Marcum & Sons LLC out of Redmond were awarded the $5.4 million contract to replace the bridge.
A diagram of the Section Deck Bulb-T design that will be used for the new bridge at Rock Creek on Highway 206 from Condon-Heppner. ODOT expects for the rock removal in the creek to be extensive.
Starting July 15, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will construct a new bridge on Highway 206 over Rock Creek on the Condon-Heppner Highway.
The project will take at least four months to complete and all traffic will be diverted to other routes for at least three weeks.
ODOT will replace the 90-year old Rock Creek Bridge – which sits 10.6 miles east of Condon at milepost 51.67. A significant portion of the highway will be closed on both sides of the bridge and a signed detour will direct all traffic around the project on OR 19 & OR 207, with message board notifications in Condon and Heppner.
The existing bridge has a history of washing out during heavy rain, with hazards from trees and debris presenting additional dangers.
ODOT says that the main issue with the bridge is the high maintenance costs from frequent drift removal. The bridge has also had water come over the top during high water flow periods, causing extended closures.
ODOT says that the bridge girders have cracks caused by debris. The state has performed several temporary fixes, most recently in 2014. But ODOT now feels that a new bridge is necessary and "is the best long-term solution," according to Tom Grummon, ODOT's State Foundation Engineer.
The existing four-span bridge was built in 1934, when the road was known as the Condon-Heppner Market Road No. 13.
The existing bridge, now 90 years old, is 100 feet long, with a 24' roadway width.
The new bridge will be a single-span bridge and will present a host of challenges for Marcum & Sons LLC – who were awarded the $5.4 million contract.
Based out of Redmond, Marcum & Sons specialize in large infrastructure projects. The firm completed the Shimanek Covered Bridge in Linn County in 2022.
But replacing the bridge over Rock Creek will present a series of challenges – which accounts for the long construction time projected by ODOT.
The site is located in a narrow basalt gorge with a highly variable bedrock surface. To make things more difficult, the bedrock is extremely hard and will be difficult to work with during design and construction.
ODOT says that the construction crew will need to blast a 30-foot high "rock knob," a hybrid drilled shaft/spread footing to support abutment – while managing the variable bedrock during construction.
With a 30-mile detour for approximately 60 motorists that use the highway each day, ODOT says that quick construction is a priority and hopes to see the project completed by mid-November.
The work comes in the middle of wheat harvest, which will undoubtedly pose challenges for area farmers.
Traffic being diverted for three weeks will allow ODOT time to do blasts into the basalt and to also conduct rock excavation. This is expected to take a significant portion of the in-water work window, ODOT says.
To expedite bridge assembly, ODOT selected the Section Deck Bulb-T design, with Ultra-High Performance Concrete joints. The design and materials will come from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
The Times-Journal will provide additional information and updates when construction starts.
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