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CLEAR Temp: 39 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, October 12, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 27, 2002 A tiny, expanding crack may restrict traffic on this bridge that carries McAndrews Road over Bear Creek in Medford. The Barnett Road bridge over Bear Creek faces the same predicament. Click the photo to see a larger (32k) version. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Cracks found in bridges McAndrews, Barnett spans might be hit with load limits next January By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune A recent inspection revealed unexpected cracks in two of the most-traveled bridges in Medford. The McAndrews Road bridge and the Barnett Road bridge, which cross Bear Creek, face possible load restrictions after an Oregon Department of Transportation inspector found cracks in the concrete. If imposed, the limits could be in effect for years until the bridges are replaced. "We could have load limits and we could have restrictions," said Medford Public Works Director Cory Crebbin. "Cracks in concrete are a normal thing, but the question is, are they changing and are they affecting the structural integrity?" said Crebbin. The Barnett bridge has a crack seven-hundredths of an inch wide, and the McAndrews bridge has a crack 16 thousandths of an inch wide, according to officials. While they’re tiny now, they’re causing concern because of their location: a structurally significant area, said Gary Leaming, ODOT project information specialist. "Over time, that’s going to continue to grow," he said. Restrictions would limit cross-town truck traffic and would begin in January, after engineers review the report. Repair work on the Interstate 5 viaduct in Medford also is scheduled to begin in January. The work will require I-5 traffic to be reduced to one lane in each direction. "If everything happens at once, it’s going to complicate things," said Crebbin. But troubled bridges and no money for new ones is a statewide issue, said Leaming. "Oregon has a bridge problem," said Leaming. "It’s being looked at how to pay for the fixes," he said. "The next legislative session is going to have to answer how we replace them all," he said. The Barnett bridge, which was built in 1948 and widened in 1966, was already slated for replacement, but not until 2006 or so. If weight restrictions are imposed, it would last for several years. The McAndrews bridge, built in 1952 and widened in 1967, hadn’t been considered a priority before the crack was discovered. "If there’s a problem, then they would just get moved up on the state replacement list," said Crebbin. Jared Castle, ODOT’s public affairs representative for southwest Oregon, said 300 bridges have been identified for replacement. The work would cost Oregon $3.1 billion, he said. "Most of the damaged bridges share a reinforced concrete deck girder design and were built from the late 1940s to the early 1960s," he said. "They lack enough reinforced steel to handle the speed and the weight of today’s trucks." He said weight limits, while they would not impact commuter traffic, would ultimately affect the area’s economy because of all the goods that trucks carry. "Weight limits are the negative consequences of not replacing bridges," he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S