ASTORIA, Ore. — The state is evaluating a request from contractors that could delay the completion of major construction work on waterfront bridges in downtown Astoria.
The request for an extra seven days of contract time from Legacy has not yet been approved by the Oregon Department of Transportation, which is managing the project. If approved, the request could extend work on the short structures at the bases of Seventh, Ninth and 11th streets until May 31.
The delay is due to unforeseen inclement weather that temporarily shut down one of Legacy’s supplier’s facilities, according to an update to stakeholders from Cindy Moore, the assistant city engineer.
City engineers told the City Council at the start of the project that work would likely continue through the end of May.
Replacement of the bridges has had a significant impact on businesses that have been on the other side of road closures and cyclone fencing since construction began last fall.
After complaints from tenants, business owners and property owners at a City Council meeting in November, the city changed some of the signage to try to better route pedestrians and customers around the construction zone.
Though contractors were working on several bridges at once, city engineers hoped work on the 11th Street bridge, in particular, would be completed first since it had the potential to disrupt businesses and traffic along the Astoria Riverwalk the most. But emergency repairs to the street surfaced after construction began and caused delays.
The 11th Street pier is home to a mix of businesses — some that have years under their belts and others that are relatively new.
Rich Ewing, of Inferno Lounge at the very end of the pier, has said the bridge replacement has not seemed to impact his business as much. Nor has Hygge Hair Co., a salon on the west side of 11th Street, seen much of a slowdown.
But other businesses have suffered, including Astoria Brewing Co. on the bottom corner of 11th Street.
Smoked Bones BBQ in the Pier 11 Mall only opened a year ago and has definitely felt the hit.
“Neither one of us is really pulling any income from the place,” said co-owner Mark Winheim.
After construction began on the bridge, co-owner Phil Spencer picked up part-time work at Street 14 Cafe to make extra money. The pair have experimented with different menu items to expand what they can offer.
They say the city has been lenient with them and other business owners about the types of signs they display, allowing signs that usually wouldn’t pass muster but that have helped keep their businesses in the public eye.
“After this winter, I don’t think there’s one we can’t survive,” Winheim said.
Despite all the hassles, people are beginning to see the light at the end of what has felt like a long tunnel.
Routes around the closed areas have become more familiar to customers. The Astoria Riverfront Trolley was back on the rails for spring break, albeit on a curtailed route.
With the bridge construction, the trolley could only travel from the Port of Astoria area up to Sixth Street, but was scheduled to run daily through April 7. For now, trolley operators plan to run the trolley Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the end of May.
All three bridges will be open for the summer, according to Legacy’s contract with the state. But the pause in construction will be brief. Work on the next three bridges — at the bases of Sixth, Eighth and 10th streets — is set to begin in the fall.
Though 11th Street will again be open to foot and car traffic, businesses like Buoy Beer Co., located between Seventh and Eighth streets, will continue to feel the impact of the work.
The overall impact will likely be smaller with the next trio of bridges, said Sarah Lu Heath, executive director of the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association. But, thinking of Buoy, she hopes “creative crane placement” could keep the brewery’s parking lot off Eighth Street open during construction.
Moore said residents and visitors should expect similar types of road closures.
“Unfortunately, I think we all agree the work has to be done,” Heath said. “So speed is what we’d love to see, if there were any efficiencies learned this year, going into next year.”
