Oregon has opened a new single lane detour next to the Coles Bridge on Hwy. 26, near John Day.
The new detour eliminates the 113-mile truck detour that has been in place since last month.
The detour will accommodate loads up to 105,500 pounds as well as annual permit heavy haul and some single trip permit loads. It should safely accommodate a tractor-trailer combination up to 65 feet long and up to 12 feet wide. The detour also has sharp vertical grades of 7% into and out of the detour. That means that some long loads will not be able to use the detour. Loads requiring a single trip permit will be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
Traffic will be controlled by flaggers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until completion of repairs on Coles Bridge.
On Aug. 27, the Oregon Department of Transportation will impose weight restrictions on the northbound Oregon 99W bridge over the Tualatin River near King City.
This weight limit will affect heavy trucks with axle weights above 20,000 pounds for single axles, over 34,000 pounds for tandem axles and trucks with a total weight over 105,500 pounds.
Recent inspections have revealed cracks in the horizontal concrete beams that support the nearly 50-year-old span. It will take about six months for repairs to be completed.
Due to the restriction, Oregon 99W north of Sherwood will no longer be the official detour for trucks avoiding similar weight restrictions on the Willamette River Bridge on Oregon 219 south of Newberg. All overweight trucks that travel north on Highway 99W between Sherwood and King City will be required to use an alternate route.
Southbound trucks on Oregon 99W will not be impacted by the weight restriction.