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ODOT to use Apry Road as summer detour for Highway 47 culvert work; county told to authorize agreement
Summary
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans a multi-month detour over Apry Road for Highway 47 culvert replacement; county public-works staff briefed commissioners and will place the intergovernmental agreement on the next consent calendar for the chair to sign.
Columbia County public-works staff told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 19 that the Oregon Department of Transportation plans to use Apry Road as a detour this summer while ODOT replaces a culvert on Highway 47 near Mist.
Mike Russell, Columbia County public works director, said the detour work will likely last four to five months and that ODOT will perform pavement repairs, ditching, signage upgrades and other work to bring the detour route closer to highway standards before heavier truck traffic begins. "They will be replacing [a] culvert that got washed out a couple years ago'and in order to do that, they want to close Highway 47 and use Apry Road as their detour route," Russell said.
Russell compared the plan to a prior ODOT arrangement on Colvin Road that lasted several months; ODOT performed upgrades and routine maintenance during the detour and county staff said that arrangement produced lasting improvements. County staff said ODOT will conduct outreach to landowners and that Columbia County will also use its social media channels to warn residents about increased traffic and truck volumes on Apry Road.
Commissioners asked about detour length and travel-time impact. County staff estimated a route change could add roughly 20 minutes for some trips (for example, Birkenfeld to Clatskanie routes) but said exact mileage and time depend on origin and destination. Staff said the county will present the intergovernmental agreement for approval and chair signature on the consent calendar at a future meeting.
The briefing did not include a formal vote; staff said they will add the agreement to next week's consent agenda for the chair to sign and will notify adjacent landowners and the public as ODOT finalizes timelines.
