Wallowa-Whitman Upcoming Road Construction and Closures
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, June 29th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from the U.S. Forest Service) For public safety, Forest Service Road 7735 over Little Eagle Creek, on the Whitman Ranger District, will be temporarily unusable for 4 days starting on Monday July 3rd. The purpose is due to construction that will be occurring on that road, specifically paving across the bridge. Work will also include removing gravel from the deck, and grading road approaches. An alternative route to the area is the junction of Forest Service Road 7735 and 7700. Routing traffic to this alternative route will help keep the construction workers safe as well as visitors to the area.
Last fall the bridge was almost entirely complete, but the weather became too cold and snowy to continue. In the interim, the bridge has been open to traffic with a temporary graveled surface. Now, the contractors will be able to complete the work and fully pave the bridge. For additional information, please call the Whitman Ranger District office at 541-523-6391.
Forest Service Road 51 (Grande Ronde River Road), on the La Grande Ranger District, will be temporarily impassable for approximately 10 days starting on Wednesday July 5th.
The reason is to repair a slump area on the road, which requires excavation and rebuilding the road. For the safety of our forest travelers and construction workers, the 51 Road will temporarily be blocked off.
The exact site of repair is located approximately 21 miles south of Starkey (8 miles south of Tony Vey Meadows) and 5 miles north of the FSR 51 and 52 junction. The entire width of a short section of the roadway will be excavated and rebuilt. Truck hauling will occur on the south side of the project, out past Chicken Hill. Most of the northern portion of the road will be open out to Tony Vey Meadows, Blue Springs (Fly Creek) FSR 5155 and Sheep Creek FSR 5160 roads.Travelers are advised to plan accordingly when visiting parts of the Forest affected by the construction. For additional information, please call the La Grande Ranger District office at 541-962-8500.
