A16
Wallowa County Chieftain
REGIONAL
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Regional bridge projects getting started
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
Oregon Department of
Transportation is launching a
bridge renovation and build-
ing drive that will restore six
spans in Union and Baker
counties and replace another
in Wallowa County.
Work is now starting on
three of the projects — two
in La Grande and one in
Wallowa County.
The two La Grande
spans are the North Sec-
ond Street bridge about 250
yards southeast of the Union
County Fairgrounds, and
McAlister Lane Bridge near
the Flying J Travel Center
truck stop. Both bridges are
over Interstate 84.
Work on the North Sec-
ond Street bridge started
Monday, March 21, and is
expected to be completed by
the end of July, said ODOT
spokesperson Tom Strand-
berg. The bridge will be
closed to motorized traffi c
until the work is fi nished but
bicyclists and pedestrians,
including those with disabil-
ities, will be allowed access
through the work zone.
Crews working at the
North Second Street site will
upgrade bridge rails to cur-
rent standards, repair and
seal deck surfaces, and per-
form other repairs to keep
structures safe and in good
condition.
Work on the bridge will
not aff ect traffi c on Inter-
state 84, which runs under
the span. ODOT will stage
a detour around the work
zone.
Crews contracted by
ODOT began work at the
McAlister Lane Bridge over
I-84 on March 14. Contain-
ment devices were installed
to prevent debris from the
project from falling to I-84.
There will be occasional
traffi c delays at this site
through June when work
should be fi nished, Strand-
berg said.
Work that will be done
later includes the removal
and replacement of the
existing bridge railing with
NOAA
Drought outlook for spring.
West’s drought is
expected to deepen
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Contractors work on the 2nd Street bridge, La Grande, which crosses over the Grande Ronde
River and Interstate 84 on Monday, March 21, 2022. The Oregon Department of Transportation
is launching several bridge renovation projects that will take place over the summer. Three
projects are currently underway, with two in La Grande and one in Wallowa County.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Joshua Thompson works on removing the railing along 2nd
Street, La Grande on the the bridge the crosses over the
Grande Ronde River and Interstate 84 on Monday, March 21,
2022.
a new one that meets current
vehicular crash standards,
the installation of new pro-
tective screening and sealing
the existing bridge deck to
extend the life of the surface.
The work scheduled
for Wallowa County will
involve the replacement of
the Bear Creek Bridge on
Highway 82 near Wallowa.
Removal of vegetation at
the site to allow for bridge
building started March 14.
“Basically, we will be
replacing the bridge over the
Wallowa River just to the
north of the town of Wal-
lowa,’’ Strandberg said.
The narrow bridge will
replace an 80-year-old span
that requires upgrades and
repairs. The bridge will con-
tinue to be used until the
new span is completed.
Freeze-thaw cycles have
damaged concrete rail-
ings, sidewalk and other
portions of it, said Vicki
Moles, an ODOT commu-
nity aff airs specialist.
“Erosion and debris jeop-
ardize the bridge’s founda-
tions,” Moles said.
Strandberg said that
unless the old bridge is
replaced there is a good
chance that it would even-
tually have to be closed
for repairs, something that
would cause a major dis-
ruption for those traveling
to and from northwest Wal-
lowa County.
The new bridge, which
will cost $14.3 million, is
expected to be completed by
fall 2024.
Other bridge projects to
be started this year in Wal-
lowa, Union and Baker
counties, all on or adjacent
to I-84, include the Upper
Perry Bridge, about 5 miles
east of La Grande; the on-
and off -ramp bridges at
Exit 259, 2 miles east of La
Grande; and the Highway 86
bridge at Exit 302, just north
of Baker City.
All of the seven ODOT
projects except for replace-
ment of the Bear Creek
Bridge are expected to
be completed at least by
November, according to
ODOT.
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Admin-
istration predicted Thurs-
day, March 17, that drought
will worsen in the West
this spring. The exceptions
include Western Washing-
ton, Northwest Oregon and
Northern Idaho.
Already, 89% of the West
is in drought, according to
the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought is expected to per-
sist in most places and return
to the one-quarter of Ari-
zona that’s now classifi ed as
“abnormally dry.”
The West had a wet
December, but has been rel-
atively dry since, according
to the monitor, a partnership
between federal agencies and
the National Drought Mitiga-
tion Center at the University
of Nebraska.
The snowpacks in many
basins in the West have
declined and are now below
normal, according to the
monitor.
Among all Western states,
Oregon has the highest per-
centage of area in “excep-
tional drought,” the worst
classifi cation, at 15%, fol-
lowed by Nevada with 7.5%.
NOAA’s spring outlook
was driven by a La Nina,
which is expected to per-
sist through the summer. A
La Nina generally leads to
cooler temperatures in the
northern U.S. and warmer
temperatures in the southern
U.S.
Between now and June 30,
most of the Lower 48 states
will have above-average tem-
peratures, NOAA predicted.
Across the Lower 48,
61% is in drought, the most
since 2013. NOAA forecasts
that drought will expand in
Kansas and the Texas Gulf
Coast, as well as Arizona.
Below-average
spring
temperatures are most likely
in the Pacifi c Northwest.
The greatest chances for
above-average temperatures
are in the Southern Rockies
and Southern Plains.
Below-average precip-
itation is forecast for por-
tions of the Central Great
Basin, Southwest, Central
and Southern Rockies, and
Central and Southern Plains,
eastward to the Central Gulf
Coast.
Above-average precipita-
tion is most likely in parts of
the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley
and mid-Atlantic regions.
Drought gripped the nine
Western states last spring.
The drought covered less
territory, 73%, but was
more severe, with 23% of
the region in “exceptional
drought.” This year, the
spring begins with 3% of the
West in exceptional drought.