Construction and detours on the Bailey Hill Bridge over Amazon Creek will start June 16.
Will there be detours in place?
Eugene is closing a portion of Bailey Hill Road for more than two months retrofit the bridge to withstand an earthquake.
Eugene will close Bailey Hill Road to through traffic between 18th Avenue and 11th Avenue from June 16 through the end of August 2025. The city will detour car traffic to Oak Patch Road.
Local access will remain available for destinations within the closure. People walking and biking will be allowed through the site.
What to do in a disaster: Everything you need to know if a big earthquake hits Oregon
Why is Bailey Hill Road being closed?
Last year, a panel of experts discussed how to prepare for an earthquake.
The City of Eugene said the construction will retrofit the bridge so it can withstand a major earthquake, allowing emergency services to access the West Eugene and Churchill neighborhoods.
“This retrofit isn’t just about improving infrastructure; it’s about making sure emergency responders can reach people when it matters most,” Eugene civil engineer Jordan Vesper said in a press release.
How ready for an earthquake is Oregon?
Last year, Oregon Department of Transportation Region 2 Area 5 Manager Vidal Francis said statewide in case of a large earthquake, there are 700 vulnerable bridges and 1,200 locations at risk of landslides.
Shannon Fasola of the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center said there is a one-in-three chance the region will experience a magnitude 8.0 or higher earthquake in the next 50 years. There is a one-in-ten chance of a magnitude 9.0 or higher earthquake.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: West Eugene Bailey Hill Bridge to close between 18th and 11th avenue
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