Discarded Railroad Ties a Watershed Cleanup Issue

The MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) invites community members to come together for a meeting at 7:00 p.m. May 10 to talk about abandoned creosote-infused railroad ties, which are common in the area. The meeting is at the Eddyville Community Church (20712 Highway 20). MCWC coordinator Lisa Mulcahy encourages people to “beautify your communities by identifying piles of discarded railroad (creosote) ties in between Nashville and Toledo. Also, learn more about the salmon habitat restoration work going on in your local creeks,” she said.

Participants are asked to bring the location (an address or obvious landmark) of any remaining piles of creosote ties you know about so MCWC can continue to help in facilitating their removal. MCWC works to maintain productive streams and watersheds on the central coast. Projects are designed help improve water quality, preserve and restore river and bay habitat, and help salmon migrate to and from their spawning grounds. For more information or to report the location of discarded creosote ties, email Lisa Mulcahy, Yaquina Basin Planning Team Coordinator at yaquinawatershedcouncil@gmail.com, or call 541-264-0572.

 

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Merkley Still Pulling For Eddyville Post Office

Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley has introduced legislation to keep small rural post offices open. The Senate this week is debating closing thousands of rural post offices, including dozens in Oregon. In a statement, Merkley said, “In many small towns, post offices are a critical piece of the local economy. It would be a huge mistake to close them. Yet that is exactly what the Postal Service is talking about doing in a misguided effort to save money.”

You can see Merkley’s entire statement here:

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Road Work Near Eddyville Next Week

Landslide repairs will restrict OR 180 (Eddyville-Blodgett Hwy.) to a single lane at two locations next week, according to ODOT. Travel is restricted between 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. From Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9. An ODOT contractor, Road and Driveway, will rebuild the slope beneath the roadway. The construction will take place at mileposts 3 and 4.5, on the west end of the highway, just east of Eddyville. Flaggers will control travel in alternating directions. Motorists should expect short delays. The slope beneath the roadway gave-way during the powerful January storms.

 

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Bus Service Improves Through E. County

Lincoln and Benton County’s Transit offices have rolled out additional transit services between coastal Lincoln County and the Willamette Valley. Multiple trips are now offered five days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The new routes stop in Newport, Toledo, Eddyville, Philomath, Corvallis, Albany and the Albany Amtrak station. Fares are $10 each way for 12+ riders, $7 for anyone 60 and over, younger than 12 or disabled. Discount multi-ride coupons are available. The vehicles can handle luggage; bicycles travel at no additional charge. Westbound buses starting in Corvallis, reach the Eddyville PO at 8:39 a.m. and 1:54 p.m.; the Toledo Park and Ride at 9:01 a.m. and 2:16 p.m. The eastbound portion of that loop is at the Toledo Dairy Queen at 9:44 a.m and 2:59 p.m.; at Eddyville Community Church at 10:53 a.m. and 3:18 p.m. Buses starting in Lincoln County reach Toledo Dairy Queen at 8:54 a.m. and 2:09 p.m.; Eddyville Community Church at 9:13 a.m. and 2:28 p.m. On the westbound leg of that loop, buses stop at Eddyville PO at 12:04 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.; Toledo Park and Ride at 12:26 p.m. and 5:37 p.m. For more information on regional transit and schedules, call 541-265-4900.

The Lincoln County Transit website also has links to vanpool information.

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County Roads Still Under Repair

Lincoln County Assistant Public Works Director Steve Hodge today reassured residents the department is “committed to getting our road system back to normal as quickly as possible” after January storm damage. The back-to-back storms submerged parts of many county roads and damaged others with rivers and creeks scouring away road embankments. Some roads were completely blocked by rock and debris slides from adjoining slopes. During the bad weather, Hodge said Lincoln County crews responded to nearly 175 incidents at an anticipated cost approaching $1.5 million. Hodge said most of the county’s roads are now open to travel, but work will continue for the next several months.

Roads still closed and undergoing repair include:

Logsden Road, which suffered a large slide at MP 18.3 that cut away more than a full lane of road surface. Engineers have determined the slope can be rebuilt with suitable sized rock. Work begins the week of February 6, and should be complete by March 1. Logsden Road will remain closed at MP 18.3 until the repairs are done.

Harlan Road has six major wash-out areas with many smaller shoulder washouts. County road workers removed a large volume of slide material from the road’s surface as well. Intermittent road closures (closure during work hours only, with off hour access permitted) continue for the rest of this week. It is anticipated that repair work will be completed by Friday February 3.

Old River Road slumped 15-20 feet over a substantial area, and the wooded area between the road and the Siletz River remains unstable. A geotechnical investigation is being done this week with a final report expected February 10. At that point engineers will decide how to proceed on repair. Fixing Old River Road, could “take a number of months,” according to Hodge.

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