Travelers this weekend will need to choose alternate routes along the southern Oregon coast as crews work on an emergency culvert replacement project on U.S. 101 six miles south of Bandon.
Detour routes are long and will take drivers back to Interstate 5 from 9 p.m. Friday through late Sunday, Sept. 19-21. The highway will be closed at Bearhead Mountain Road south of the Coos Bay area where southbound traffic will be detoured onto OR 42. There are no local road connections around the work zone.
Travelers who need to move between Crescent City and Coos Bay will need to use U.S. 199 to I-5 and OR 42 to get around the closure.
The Oregon Department of Transportation cautions against using alternate forest roads in the area. Even though the weather is mild and snow won’t block your detour route, these roads are not maintained for through travel and some of them are being used by firefighters.
Following the weekend closure, the highway will be limited to a single lane for about 2-3 weeks as the contractor finishes rebuilding the roadway. Use caution in the area and expect sometimes lengthy delays until the work is complete.