Trucks over 80,000 pounds will no longer have to take a 32-mile detour around the Crooked River bridge near Prineville, Ore., on Highway 126.

The bridge will receive a final lift of asphalt and will be open to traffic Oct. 31. The bridge has been restricted to oversize commercial vehicles since mid-September when shear cracks were found throughout the concrete girders.
The ODOT Klamath Falls bridge crew immediately began injecting epoxy into the cracks. The crew then drilled holes in the deck and installed 2,000 steel rods and plates around the girders to help strengthen the bridge.
Repairs to this bridge were a high priority because numerous trucks hauling weights over 80,000 pounds are accustomed to using this route. The detour route, Highway 97 to Madras and Highway 26 to Prineville, added 32 miles to the haul route for trucks over 80,000 pounds. ODOT made detour route improvements to the junction of Highway 26 and 97 by realigning the intersection to allow safer turning movements for large trucks.
Oregon's bridges were designed to be replaced after about 50 years, and the state has more than 350 bridges that are nearing the end of their planned use. These bridges were not built to be maintained indefinitely, nor were they designed for today's weights, volumes and traffic speeds.