U.S. 20 Pioneer Mountain – Eddyville Project: Scheduled night closures not yet needed

Construction is moving forward as planned, however, the scheduled overnight road closures for the U.S. 20 Pioneer Mountain-Eddyville Project are not yet needed and have been postponed. As construction progresses, the site conditions will be re-evaluated continually to determine if full overnight closures will be necessary beginning on August 14. Until at least August 14, the road will continue to operate as usual and delays of up to 20 minutes should be anticipated by travelers.

 “Given the current operations and soil conditions, it is more efficient to delay the closures. By continuing with current operations, K&E Excavating can work long days at the west end curve, instead of being limited to 10 hours.” said ODOT Project Manager Steve Schultz. “It allows them to work more during daylight, which is safer and more efficient. It also has the added benefit of reducing the impact to the traveling public.” 

Work is being done at the west end of the west end curve excavation, which is the furthest distance from the current roadway.  As the excavation continues, it will proceed to the east, which will get closer to the existing highway and may result in the need for the overnight closures. Blasting at the site is beginning on Wednesday, July 27, but the first blasts will be done during the 20 minute delays. This is possible because of the small size of the first blasts and the distance from the blast to the existing highway and river at the west end of the excavation.

 On Wednesday and Thursday nights this week, July 27 and 28, from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m., travelers should expect some lane closures and holds up to 20 minutes for paving at the east end tie-in near Eddyville. 

Background

The U.S. 20 PME: UPRR to Eddyville Project will create five-and-a-half miles of new road, bypassing a 10-mile section of the original U.S. 20 that was built in 1917. Safety will be improved with two lanes of travel that include wide shoulders and passing lanes, eliminating the old route’s very curvy sections and visual barriers.

 This phase of the project includes:

• Construction of landslide mitigation and geotechnical features
• Over 350,000 cubic yards of earthwork
• Construction of roadbed, aggregate base and asphalt concrete pavement
• Installation of drainage, guard rail, striping, and signing
• Installation of a wildlife crossing culvert under the new roadbed
• Erosion control
• Landscaping
• Re-routing public traffic onto the new alignment

Recognizing that these closures and delays will have a significant impact to the traveling public and local residents, coordination with local businesses, government agencies, and others in the area has been ongoing. People will also be able to find the latest closure schedules and road status on TripCheck or by calling 511.

The project website is at www.us20pme.com.