Big Creek Road, since January 17th
The Newport City Council got the good news and the bad news about the January storm damaged Big Creek Road Monday night. The good news is that FEMA is likely to pay 75% of the city’s cost in repairing the road, complete with toe-in reinforcement down below so that the fill up above won’t slide down as well. The bad news is…it’s likely to be an engineering challenge and may take more than one construction season to get a good engineering estimate and then do it. Total cost: $750,000 or there abouts according to Public Works Director Lee Ritzman.
Lakewood HIlls Neighborhood Association representative Wayne Brunelle told the council that with 31st Street slumped out to one lane, and a frequently busy 36th Street to 101, their area has only 1.5 roads out of their neighborhood in case of an emergency. And they’re not happy about it. They asked the council to lay down a traffic counter on 31st and 36th Streets to determine the number of daily trips on both road to determine if the city ought to do something about their plight.
Ritzman told the council “the data we have on 31st and 36th is pretty old. We will install the counter pretty quick and come back with more current numbers.” Although Brunell strongly hinted that the neighbhood association would like to see 31st repaired, Ritzman distanced himself from the idea citing continued earth movement in the area, although not as bad as in recent years. Ritzman also said he will work with Newport Police on tabulate the number of accidents at 36th and 101 to determine if a stop light might be warranted at that intersection. Obviously ODOT would have to be part of that discussion.
Ritzman said another option that might be to extend Harney Street from town northward into the Lakewood Hills area.
The Council set a June 18th at noon work session to discuss the issue further.
