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WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ APRIL 12, 2017 ❘
Siuslaw News
SECTION B
SENIOR NEWS
CALENDAR
Coast Life
INSIDE — 6B
‘Balancing between
history and safety’
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Siuslaw River Bridge Cathodic
Protection Project seeks to
preserve, celebrate history
PHOTOS BY CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) contractors Hamilton Construction Co. and Great Western are moving main construction
and equipment to the south end of the Siuslaw River Bridge. Meanwhile, containment structures (right) are being placed at the north end
of the bridge for the continuing replacement of bridge railing.
within the concrete
on the shape of the old.
from corrosion.
“Our designer did a
The grey zinc coating
great job creating forms
runs from the tideline
that work really well.
up the bridge supports.
The design matches
Contractors work in
really close,” Neal said.
two groups — one
“Something you will
group working on the
notice as you walk past
cathodic protection, and
is the height differ-
one group removing
ence.”
and replacing bridge
Besides raising the
railing.
height to be elbow-high
“We have about 15
on an adult, each deco-
people out here work-
rative opening on the
ing every day,” said
new rail features a
ODOT Senior Inspector
metal arch to prevent
Nate Neal.
things from falling
Crews are required to
through.
From left, ODOT Public Information Officer Angela Beers
wear hardhats, safety
“That’s what this
Seydel, Project Coordinator Shane Prohaska and Senior
harnesses, life vests and
project is about — bal-
Inspector Nathan Neal tour the Siuslaw River Bridge
other safety features as
ancing between history
Cathodic Protection Project last week. “It’s what I love
they work in the con-
and safety,” Neal said.
about my job — days like this,” Beers Seydel said.
struction zones.
As for the color dif-
Neal himself is on hand to check
fic of Rhody Days. We shouldn’t be
ference, Neal advised waiting a for
progress and inspect elements at vari- as much of a pain with our equip-
years for the moss to grow.
ous points in the project.
ment this year,” Neal said.
“It’s noticeable now, but once we
“We haven’t had any big surpris-
He said work would mostly be
have all new rail here, no one will
es,” he said.
done at night from May 17 to 21, and know. Give it a few years,” he said.
Recently, the crews moved most of that crews would continue to monitor
Now that the construction barge is
their equipment — including noisy
traffic on Highway 101.
across the river, crews often spend
generators — out of Old Town
“We were successful with that last
their entire days onsite. With the
Florence and across Siuslaw River to year,” Neal said. “In fact, I was able
weather slowly warming, this will
the south end of the bridge.
to come out and spend the Rhody
become easier on the crew.
“The cathodic protection is mov-
Days weekend out here.”
“The cold weather caused a little
ing south, and the replacement of the
Beers Seydel said, “(Being ready
bit of issues with the concrete and
bridge rail is swapping positions,”
for Rhody Days) was a promise we
rail work, but the containment has to
Neal said.
made to the governor, as well, when
be environmentally controlled for the
He added that the sound com-
she was here.”
zinc application,” Neal said.
plaints had dropped off now that the
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visited
Inside the containment structures,
noisiest equipment was across the
Florence March 14 to hear about the
the temperature has to remain above
river.
Siuslaw River Bridge Cathodic
65 degrees, and can get as high as 90
Next, crews will begin removing
Protection Project, ODOT’s partner-
degrees. A filtration system attached
the walking bridge that allowed
ship with the City of Florence on the
to the structure filters out dust and
workers to reach the stationary barge
ReVision Florence Project and the
sand.
parked under the north span. That
area’s economic development and to
Wind can also be an issue, espe-
means the small parking lot under the hold a community forum.
cially when crews are moving struc-
bridge will be open by May, just in
As the crews working on the
tures or using the barge and crane.
time for the 110th annual
bridge rail come closer to Old Town,
“The things they are moving are
Rhododendron Festival in Florence,
people will be able to see the slight
pretty big sails,” Neal said. “If crews
when up to 15,000 people attend the
differences between the old railing
pick up those in 30 miles per hour
weeklong festivities.
and the new, safer railing. ODOT
winds, things could get away from
“We work with the increased traf-
designers created the new rails based them.
T
he iconic Siuslaw River
Bridge has reigned over
Florence since its completion
in 1936. Now, Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) is overseeing
improvements to increase the integri-
ty and longevity of the bridge. The
main components of the Cathodic
Protection Project, scheduled to be
completed in March 2019, are repair-
ing damaged concrete and replacing
bridge railings. Additional features
include seismic improvements and
safer and more accessible sidewalks.
The Siuslaw River Bridge is one
of five major bridges constructed
along the Oregon Coast Highway
(Highway 101) during Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s presidency. Engineer
Conde B. McCullough created a
unique Art Deco design for each of
the bridges, emphasizing symmetri-
cal patterns, geometric forms, elegant
arches and sunburst motifs.
“I just love our bridge,” said
ODOT Public Information Officer
Angela Beers Seydel. “It’s beautiful.
I was so sad when they took down
the Alsea Bay Bridge. That’s why
we’re doing this. We can’t lose
another one.”
Due to corrosion, ODOT demol-
ished the original Alsea Bay Bridge
in Waldport in 1991 and replaced it
with a more modern, durable span.
“There’s pain in keeping the
bridge updated, but it’s something to
keep investing in. There’s a reason
these bridges are iconic,” Beers
Seydel said.
ODOT awarded Hamilton
Construction Co. the primary bid for
the Siuslaw River Bridge project.
The secondary contractor is Great
Western, who specializes in the zinc
application process of cathodic pro-
tection. The process involves sand-
blasting and cleaning concrete before
coating surfaces with zinc.
According to ODOT, installing a
zinc surface coating on coastal
bridges protects the reinforcing steel
N ATURAL
PERSPECTIVE
pring has arrived on the coast and
so have some long-distance visi-
tors: rufous hummingbirds. These
tiny birds, weighing little more than a
penny, have made an impressive jour-
ney of more than 3,500 miles from
wintering sites in Mexico.
The name “rufous” refers to their
rust-colored feathers which, in males,
are especially vivid and accompanied
by a fiery orange throat.
Arriving in our yards, these little
gems join the larger, green Anna’s
hummingbird, which overwinters in
Oregon. Despite their small stature,
rufous hummingbirds are very territori-
S
B Y E MILY J. U HRIG , P H D
Special to the Siuslaw News
—
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
“That’s the delight about the coast,
however. You have a rainy day and
turn around and it will be sunny.”
During April, crews will be work-
ing between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday, with occa-
sional 2 a.m. starts. They will contin-
ue sandblasting on the south end of
the bridge, with some touch up work
on the north end. Rail replacement
will begin to move north.
Beers Seydel said people driving
on Highway 101 should expect some
lane closures during the day for
bridge rail replacement and other
work. Delays may be up to 20 min-
utes, but will normally be five min-
utes or less.
When ODOT began the bid
process in 2014, a letter sent out to
the community said, “Overall, the
bridge preservation project is both
for historic preservation and safety.”
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, 278
Maple St. in Florence, has more
information on the history of the
Siuslaw River Bridge, including arti-
facts removed during ODOT’s 2010
upgrade of the mechanical and elec-
trical elements of the drawbridge.
For more information, contact the
museum at 541-997-7884 and
www.siuslawpioneermuseum.com.
For more information on ODOT’s
Siuslaw River Bridge Cathodic
Protection Project, visit
www.Siuslawbridge.com.
Gems of springtime
al and often described by field guides
as pugnacious and feisty.
They may even chase larger hum-
mingbirds away from feeders, but who
can blame them? We’re all a little
grumpy after a long-haul journey and
they’ve done it powered only by flower
nectar.
In addition to being accomplished
travelers, rufous hummingbirds are
notable for their memory and learning
abilities associated with locating food
sources. As they zoom around our
yards, they may appear to be randomly
flitting between flowers or feeders, but
the birds are actually making decisions
on where to find nectar.
For instance, they can remember
which flowers have been emptied and
avoid visiting them until the nectar has
had time to replenish. Such efficiency
in feeding is important for sustaining an
animal whose resting heartrate can be
around 500 beats per minute.
While we often associate humming-
birds with red flowers, and most back-
yard feeders are red, biologists have
shown that the birds rely more on
flower location rather than color when
choosing where to feed.
Experiments using artificial flowers
show that rufous hummingbirds return
to a location where they were previous-
ly successful in finding nectar even if
the color of flower in that location has
changed.
This location-based memory appears
to be based on recognition of nearby
landmarks similar to how you could
still find your favorite coffee shop even
if it had been painted a different color
since your last visit.
We are lucky to host such amazing
birds in our own backyards, and their
brightness is a very welcome sight at
the end of a gray Oregon winter.
So get your feeders out and enjoy
these little springtime gems.