By Sierra Lauder, Director of Events and Downtown Development, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce
Thank you all who did your anti-rain dancing and brought about the nice weather on Monday! New striping went down throughout the project area, and the fresh lines are helpful in reminding us that there is only one lane eastbound on Third to Main, as well as create shifts in the traffic flow.
The temperature was perfect on Monday, and the asphalt went down on the stretch of Main south of the new bridge down to the intersection of First, along the junction with Front Street, in front of Burden’s Towing and America’s Mattress. Traffic will shift over on to that new paving, and the corner from Main on to First will continue to be tight. Be sure to navigate the corner slowly and with caution. Flagging at that intersection will be happening all day Wednesday and Thursday as the demolition begins on the west side of Main right there on that corner. The First St. entrance to the parking lot of Oregon Coast Dance Center will be closed while construction takes place on the corner, and that parking lot will only be accessible from Main Ave. This will make for tight, non-traditional parking in that lot- be careful.
For those who have been wondering why the final segment of the sidewalk on the east side of Main in front of Local Dog House, Matthew Lyon’s office, and Food Roots has not been finished- it was discovered that the basement of that building underhangs the sidewalk slightly, and new engineering work was required prior to sealing that up. That work is wrapping up, and those sidewalks should be coming soon. Meanwhile, access to all of those businesses is in place using a temporary wooden sidewalk. Southbound traffic downtown is now running along the east side of the road, creating room to begin the demolition and sidewalk work.
Another interesting development occurs on the new bridge this week- they are set to do the “Closure Pour”, which will fill the gap between the bridge that was built last spring the bridge that we are seeing built this spring.
Unfortunately, the forecast continues to look desolate- bad news for those of eager to get in the garden, and bad news for the speed of the project. Crews will continue to move along as quickly as possible, and the coming weeks should bring the formation of railing and sidewalks along the new bridge, as well as a concentration of work on the north side of the bridge in front of Rosenberg’s, and sidewalk work on the west side of Main downtown.
I’ll encourage you all again to take extra care in the construction zone. Pedestrian traffic is increasing, and there are so many things going on that it is easy to get distracted. We are truly approaching the home stretch now, so even as things continue to be challenging, the final pieces of the project are on the near horizon.
For more FAQ’s about our project, including conceptual drawings that help visualize the project in its entirety, you can check out the ODOT page: www.TillamookTraffic.org
