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Project delayed – Silverton Road bridge won’t re-open ‘til late January

By James Day

Silverton-area residents who have gotten used to detours around the Silverton Road bridge project are going to have to hang in there for another two months.

Marion County officials originally hoped to open the bridge over the Little Pudding River between 60th Avenue and 64th Place by next week. However, utility issues and other “unforeseen delays” have changed that timeline to Jan. 31, said Steven Preszler, the project manager for the county.

Silverton Road remains closed to through traffic at Howell Prairie Road at the east end and Cordon Road on the west side. Motorists can continue to use the two main detours established by the county, Sunnyview Road and Hazelgreen Road.

Preszler also noted that once the bridge re-opens additional work will be required to conclude the project. 

“The soil at the approaches of the bridge is expected to consolidate and settle due to the added weight of the fill,” he told Our Town. “Most of that settlement should be complete after four months. Once that time has passed, the contractor will come back and construct the final lift of paving and the retaining wall facing.”

The road will be open during the final work, Preszler said, with intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. for approximately one month.

All work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.