“Temporary” jersey barriers continued to limit the Cox Creek bridge on Waverly Drive to one lane on Aug. 1, 2023, as they have since 2005.
Because it’s on my bike route, the decrepit bridge across Cox Creek on Waverly Drive in Albany has been on my mind for years. It should be replaced, but getting this done will take a while longer.
Last week I thought there was progress when the Linn County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement concerning the replacement. But the action was a formality that doesn’t apppear to accelerate the snail’s pace timeline for building a new bridge.
This two-lane bridge across the creek used to serve mills as well as trucking operations and the railroad yard just north of the city limit between Albany and Millersburg. It still carries work trucks of the Portland & Western Railroad and also is the entrance to Simpson Park and the Talking Water Gardens.
Built in 1957, the bridge has been weight-restricted since 2005, when Linn County reduced it to one lane.
Now the bridge belongs to Millersburg, which has been seeking grants through ODOT to get it fixed.
The agreement approved by the Linn commissioners last week is between ODOT, Linn County and Millersburg and covers only the “preliminary engineering,” not the entire the bridge replacement.
Janelle Booth, the Millersburg city engineer, explained it to me in an email:
“The entire bridge replacement project is estimated at $3,524,000, which includes a 10.27 per cent local match. Millersburg is responsible for the matching funds, and Linn County will deliver the project … .
“The agreement the county just approved is for ‘preliminary engineering activities for a new bridge to meet current standards.’ This cost is estimated at $537,400, with a grant amount of $482,209.02. Â Millersburg will pay the 10.27 percent match. Part of the engineering work will involve developing proposed project schedules, so the exact timing of construction is yet to be determined.”
Last winter the project appeared in the State Transportation Improvement Plan or STIP.
As I reported in March, the STIP says ODOT plans to spend $500,000 on preliminary engineering in 2024 and some $89,000 on right-of-way in 2025. And then, finally, construction is projected to take place in 2026.
So, when visiting Simpson Park or the Talking Waters, count on one-lane traffiic for at least three more years. (hh)
I would be curious to know what the privately built bridge in Knox Butte cost and how long it took to build?