High Water Damages Oregon’s Coast Range Roadway

One victim of the recent storms in Oregon is a stretch of road in the Coast Range expected to be bypassed by the state’s most expensive highway project.

High water in the Yaquina River eroded the foundation of U.S. Highway 20 six miles west of Eddyville in Lincoln County, and part of the shoulder collapsed into the river.

Spokesman Rick Little of the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday that traffic will be reduced to a single lane, with flaggers on duty, until repairs can be made. That may take about four days.

The project designed to replace a twisty, dangerous section of the highway has been dogged by delays and overruns – the $130 million price tag has reached an estimated $300 million. The new stretch may be ready in 2015.