MANZANITA – One lane of U.S. Highway 101 has reopened with around-the-clock traffic flagging until repairs can be made to a bridge four miles north of Manzanita in the Oswald West State Park area.
The single-lane flagging is likely to continue through the busy holiday travel weekend, the Oregon Department of Transportation said, so allow extra time for any driving and go to Tripcheck.com to see updates.
A section of concrete sidewalk and guardrail collapsed on the Necarney Creek Bridge sometime Thursday afternoon, ODOT said, and a Tillamook resident alerted authorities to the damage after crossing it.
Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office deputies closed the lane next to the collapsed section immediately. By 4:30 p.m., ODOT asked deputies to fully close the bridge as a precaution until it could be inspected. The bridge reopened to one lane about 6:45 p.m.
ODOT said in a news release that it had no estimate when repairs can be completed or when the affected lane can be reopened. It also said engineers suspect a vehicle struck the bridge Thursday.
The Necarney Creek Bridge was built in 1937, and the section that collapsed is a part of the original concrete construction.