The Rain is Here

From ODOT-
Hi, Karl Wieseke here from ODOT’s Springfield area office.

As ODOT’s construction project manager on WRB, I see firsthand how the weather affects our construction activities.

The rainy fall and winter months present new challenges to ODOT’s commitment to minimizing impacts to the environment by ongoing construction activities.

Over the past several weeks, ODOT and our contractor, Hamilton Construction and their subcontractors, have prepared the work site to minimize the impacts of rain and to keep construction on schedule and within permit requirements.

· We have seeded bare slopes and open spaces, or covered them with straw to absorb and better control runoff.

· Hamilton Construction crews inspected the work bridge and made necessary adjustments to ensure that it captures and treats all the runoff before it reaches the Willamette River.

· We have cleaned out drift logs stuck around and under the work bridge to avoid potential problems from rising river levels brought on by winter rains.

· We have also checked equipment for appropriate protection to capture any possible oil or lubricant leaks mixing with rainwater.

Together, ODOT and Hamilton Construction are determined that when the bridge work is done, the work area, riverbanks and adjacent parklands will be in better condition than before we started work.