Bridge closing to pedestrians Oct. 8

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Historic Stewart Park Drive Bridge will close to foot traffic Wednesday, Oct. 8, for roadway resurfacing as part of a major bridge rehabilitation project expected to wrap up by November.

The Great Depression-era steel truss bridge has been closed to all vehicles since early February for a $6,321,890 rehabilitation project to extend its useful life and allow use by modern fire trucks. The 327-foot structure is one of the smallest steel truss cantilever bridges in the country.

The bridge will close to all bicycles and pedestrians from 6 a.m. until about 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, so the concrete and metal bridge “deck” can be resurfaced with polymer coating. During the project, the center of the bridge has remained open to foot traffic as a temporary pedestrian path while construction crews work around that section.

“They’re going to coat the whole bridge deck. It’s got to have time to cure before they can have foot traffic on it,” said Roseburg Public Works Director Ryan Herinckx.

The bridge is expected to reopen to pedestrians and bikes at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The project is being paid primarily with federal funds after the City won a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Program in 2019. The City will match 10.27% -- paying only $649,258.

A new plastic lumber decking walkway is being built on the bridge’s west side. The project includes truss strengthening, sealing the existing concrete deck and joint ends, reconstructing substandard sidewalk, replacing sidewalk decking and substandard handrails, installing universally accessible sidewalk ramps on both ends, strengthening pin and hanger connections, installing new sidewalk lighting, and prepping and repainting the surface.

Until Friday, Oct. 3, bridge sections have been encased in containment wrap to keep lead-based paint from contaminating the river. On Friday, construction crews removed the last of the containment wrap while others vacuumed loose sand from the bridge surface. More worked under the bridge on a secondary platform that served as the containment floor.

All existing paint – including top layers of green paint – has been removed and the bridge’s color has been restored to its original – an intense, striking black. A black, powder-coated steel handrail has been installed along the new walkway, which can now be reached with ADA-accessible ramps. Four antique-style, “gooseneck” or “candy cane” lanterns will be installed to match lights in the nearby Veterans Administration campus.

The bridge will be load-rated to hold single-rear-axle fire trucks, which weigh about 43,000 pounds or 21.5 tons, and short-haul vehicles/commercial delivery trucks. The bridge is expected to reopen by early November.