U.S. 101 will be closed between Bandon and Port Orford from the evening of Friday, September 19, through late Sunday night, September 21, for culvert replacement work. The closure is necessary to remove a failing pipe located more than 20 feet beneath the highway at Bearhead Mountain Lane, about six miles south of Bandon.
There are no local roads available to bypass the construction area. Drivers traveling between Crescent City and Coos Bay will need to use a detour that includes U.S. 199, Interstate 5, and Oregon 42. This alternate route adds significant distance to trips in the region.
Contractors will excavate deeply to replace the culvert in an area constrained by steep slopes, wetlands, and a nearby stream. According to ODOT, maintaining traffic flow during construction would require building a single-lane bypass either through hillside or over wetlands and relocating the stream. Such an approach would increase costs and extend traffic disruption for about six months.
The full closure is part of a rapid replacement strategy intended to limit overall impacts on travelers and reduce project expenses by more than $1 million. Single-lane closures are expected for two to three weeks before and after the weekend closure. The total construction window is estimated at four to six weeks.
ODOT scheduled the work outside of the summer travel season but noted that several events will take place in Coos Bay during the weekend of September 20-21. These include the Bay Area Fun Festival, Prefontaine Memorial Run with participants from multiple high schools including international runners, and Cruz the Coos car cruise featuring hundreds of vintage vehicles.
Travelers are advised to plan ahead due to increased travel times during this period. For current road conditions, drivers can visit TripCheck.com (https://tripcheck.com/). More information about local events is available at Oregon’s Adventure Coast (https://www.oregonsadventurecoast.com/).
“At ODOT, we understand that highway closures can affect communities near and far, so we scheduled this closure outside the summer travel season,” ODOT stated.
For further details on the project or inquiries, contact ODOT Public Information Office Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov.
