More bridge work scheduled on OR-66/Ashland Street Bridge

The first of two Ashland bridges has reopened following a deck replacement project that started back in mid-April, according to state transportation officials.

The East Main Street Bridge is one of two bridges to receive a “facelift” in a $3.5 million endeavor, according to an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) news release. It had originally been built in 1962. Next up is the OR-66/Ashland Street Bridge, which passes over the CORP railroad tracks. Work on that bridge deck replacement is expected to take about 10 weeks.

Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction for the duration of the project.

Sidewalk accessibility work

A $4.8 million project to bring 159 sidewalk ramps in Ashland into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act should wrap up by the end of June, although it may spill over a bit into July, an ODOT spokesperson said Friday.

Work on the project started in March 2022, more than a year ago.

“(Work is) very close to the finish line and contract end date is end of this month, although it may leak over into July,” Gary Leaming of ODOT said in an email Friday. “There are several corners they are struggling with on redesign to get the strict tolerances correct ….  Ashland is not flat – and built on a slope!”

There will be another round of work nest year in the spring in summer, Leaming added. “There are several corners in Ashland on Main and Lithia Way that still need to be complete.”

Since 2017, ODOT has rolled out various curb ramp projects in the Rogue Valley and statewide to improve access and meet a legal settlement with the Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living.

Exit 6 work

Roadwork will also take place nearby on Interstate 5. The bridge deck on the southbound exit 6 on-ramp, near Callahan’s Lodge, will receive a deck seal replacement, with work scheduled between June 16 and July 5, ODOT officials said. Southbound freeway through traffic will narrow to a single lane, and the exit’s southbound on-ramp will be closed. Local traffic will detour on the Old Siskiyou Highway to the I-5 exit 1 on-ramp, just north of the Oregon-California border.

Once complete, similar corrective work will be performed on the exit’s northbound side. That work is expected to last June 29 through July 19. Northbound traffic will be directed to use the I-5 exit 1 off-ramp and follow the Old Siskiyou Highway north to exit 6.