County Roads Still Under Repair

Old RIver Road in Siletz may be closed for months

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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Toledo Police Begins Scouting Program

The Toledo Police Department is accepting applications for its Explorer Program. According to a press release, “This is a unique opportunity for young adults between the ages of 14 and 21 to learn the fascinating field of law enforcement. The Explorer Program will provide career orientation experiences, leadership opportunities, and community service activities.” The primary goals of the Explorer Program is to help young adults choose a career path within law enforcement and to challenge them to become responsible citizens of their communities and the nation, it said. To apply, pick up an application form at the Toledo Police Department (250 W. Business 20) or attend an informational meeting at the Toledo Police Department on January 11 at 6:00 p.m. For more information please contact Officer Michael Pace at 541-336-5555.

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Hwy 20 Project May Stretch Into 2014

Joe Squire, Project Manager for the Pioneer Mountain-Eddyville project on U.S. 20 confirms it will take two more construction seasons to finish the project that began in 2005. Squire gave an update to the Toledo City Council Wednesday night, including a slide show providing a ‘virtual road trip’ along the uncompleted 5.5 mile stretch. Squire said “I know for sure it will take two construction seasons to finish the work. The obvious question is ‘when’s the first construction season?’” Squire said everyone is working hard to make sure the next construction season is 2012, but he couldn’t guarantee the work would not take until 2014. Meetings continue among the contractor, ODOT engineers and consultants, as they work to find solutions for shifting ground along the project route. He said “ODOT remains very committed to get this thing done. It will save 10-15 minutes of driving time and open up (Lincoln County) to large commercial trucks. He estimated the new road will save G-P Toledo “$50 to $100 per truckload,” making the mill much more competitive.

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