Polk County public works: Bethel Road to close July 20 for about three weeks; Wildwood bridge hit again

Polk County Public Works Director Tom Whitaker told the Board of Commissioners on July 8 that contractors expect to close Bethel Road at the Highway 99 intersection beginning July 20, with work expected to last about three weeks (roughly 21 days). Whitaker said the county will forward contractor notices and post information on the county website to help the public understand the detour and schedule.

Whitaker warned that the official detour route is long and "the agricultural community is probably not going to adhere to" it, so Public Works is coordinating with farmers and contractors to reduce damage to local roads and to enable large harvest equipment to pass. He said contractors provided contact information for farmers and had met with Colonial Farms and Coral Farms to develop access plans during the work.

Whitaker also reported that the Wildwood Bridge was struck again by an overheight load and that staff need to perform a rapid assessment to determine whether to close the bridge or impose a severe weight restriction until an ODOT bridge inspector evaluates it. He characterized the recurring incidents as likely caused by overloaded log trucks and said there is visible bark on upper members at the strike points.

When asked whether vehicles that hit the bridge stop and report the incidents, Whitaker said they do not. Commissioners and staff emphasized outreach to affected landowners to reduce traffic impacts during the closure.

Whitaker's remarks included a brief inconsistency in stated dates during discussion: he initially said the closure would begin July 20 and last about 21 days, while a later exchange in the meeting misstated other calendar endpoints; county staff will provide final closure dates and detour details in contractor notices and on the county website.