Temporary bridge slated for Three Mile Lane

Motorists may soon be driving over a new Three Mile Lane bridge spanning the South Yamhill River — but it will be a temporary one.

Officials at the Oregon Department of Transportation are proposing to build a temporary two-way bridge for motorists to use while crews replace the existing wooden span with a modernized version.

The McMinnville City Council is expected to decide Tuesday on an easement application for a provisional bridge.

The project is slated to begin in 2020 and take at least two years, Community Development Director Mike Bisset advised in a memo to councilors.

Once traffic is redirected, Bisset said, crews will tear down the existing bridge and begin work on a new one on the same alignment. The temporary bridge will be removed when the new bridge is finished, he said.

“During construction there will likely be times when traffic is impacted in one or both directions,” Bisset said in his memo. “The new permanent bridge is planned to have wider sidewalks on both sides as well as on-street bike lanes in both directions.”

ODOT officials are planning to keep the public informed about the planning and detours as the construction nears, he said.

Bisset said the contractor will be required to restore the affected easement.

In other business Tuesday, councilors will decide whether or not to strike an agreement with McMinnville Water & Light to complete a thorough assessment of buildings owned by the city and utility.

The assessment is expected to cost $128,000. The city’s share would be $104,700, the utility’s $23,600.

Bisset said the city’s share is covered in its 2018-2019 budget.

The assessment of 57 city-owned buildings would cover approximately 370,000 square feet. The aim is to identify and prioritize maintenance and capital improvement needs.

The assessment would also cover four Water & Light buildings encompassing 42,000 square feet. The aim would be the same for them.

In May, officials began casting about for a private firm to conduct the assessment. They settled on EMG, based in Maryland.

That choice will be up for council approval Tuesday.