Melrose Road Closure Pushed Back to Wednesday Morning

ROSEBURG – The one-week closure of Melrose Road that had been scheduled to start this morning at the South Umpqua River will be postponed two days due to weather. The closure, which will allow contractors to place beams on the new Conn Ford Bridge, is now expected to begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17. The beams will be transported from Vancouver, Wash., where ice and snow have created hazardous road conditions. Prime contractor Farline Bridge, Inc. expects weather to improve enough over the next 48 hours to begin transporting the beams Wednesday morning. During the closure, traffic from the Melrose area will detour onto Old Melrose Road, Harvard Avenue, Stewart Parkway and Garden Valley Boulevard. Motorists are advised to slow down and drive with caution along the detour route. Melrose Road is scheduled to be closed until dusk on Tuesday, Jan. 23. However, the contractor will likely open the road when they finish placing the beams, which could be a few days earlier. ODOT is partnering with Douglas County on this $22.6 million two-project bundle, which also replaces the Old Highway 99 Bridge in Oakland. Construction on the Conn Ford Bridge project began in the spring of 2022 and the new bridge is expected to be open to traffic this summer. Via ODOT