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Public Works reports bridge work, intersection-safety upgrades and Mill Creek flood-project progress
Summary
Public Works told commissioners that bridge and road projects are under way — work on Lower Waitsburg Bridge and other bridge-deck rehabilitations continue, Ghost and Hart bridges will be closed for much of the summer, and staff and the Corps of Engineers are coordinating on Mill Creek flood control.
Wallowa County Public Works updated the Board of Commissioners on March 24 about several infrastructure projects including bridge construction, intersection-safety work and progress on the Mill Creek flood-control project.
Director Dan Mack reported that construction crews have poured end walls and work has started on the Dale Sharp bridge and that the Lower Waitsburg bridge work is dialed in for a May 1 start. The department is concurrently managing bridge‑deck rehabilitation work and said detours and signing were installed to reduce neighborhood impacts.
The county completed an intersection‑safety project that installed ten solar‑lit stop signs, painted stop bars and upgraded approach markings at identified intersections. Mack said the improvements were completed in a two-day work window and crews coordinated traffic control and signing.
Road closures and schedule notes: the Ghost Street bridge is closed for the majority of the summer and Hart Bridge will be closed until just before harvest when it will reopen; Colvard work is complete and reopened. Mack and commissioners emphasized the county will publish closure notices for affected routes.
Mill Creek flood-control project: the Corps of Engineers and county staff met to align terminology and gauge readings for flood operations and to coordinate monitoring during high‑water events. Joy (Corps/partner staff) told the board the Corps is updating consultant contracts for a partial wall design, completing risk analysis, and finalizing real‑estate maps; the Corps plans to add temporary staff to accelerate right‑of‑way work, and Joy said the county has not seen construction‑schedule delays as of the meeting. Commissioners asked whether the timeline still fits fish‑window constraints; staff said many tasks are outside the in‑stream work window and the schedule remains on target.
Commissioners also raised specific maintenance concerns: a commissioner requested crews inspect Last Chance Road (Whitman to the old highway) after reports of deep shoulder potholes that are a hazard to cyclists, and staff confirmed they would send crews to inspect and address the location.
What’s next: Public Works will continue construction and detour coordination for summer bridge work, finalize intersection markers and provide schedule updates; Corps and county staff will continue right‑of‑way and design coordination for the Mill Creek scope before construction.
