Drivers taking the Marion Street Bridge should hit the road earlier than normal after construction starts Wednesday evening.
The Marion Street on-ramp in downtown Salem and the Wallace Road off-ramp in west Salem will close when state Department of Transportation crews start work on the bridge at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
There will be different detours for getting on and off the bridge, the agency said in a Facebook post.
The work is slated to continue on weeknights for the next few months, between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The crews will repave the bridge’s damaged surface, create a waterproof surface to prevent water from freezing and cracking the pavement and make the surface smoother for drivers, according to the project’s webpage, which lists the design and construction as costing about $6.95 million.
The bridge was last paved in 2011. Its new surface is being paved with a stronger material and is expected to last about 20 years, the webpage said.
You can check detour routes and sign up for project alerts online.
When the Marion Street on-ramp is closed, drivers can take Commercial Street to Front Street to get onto the bridge.
While the Wallace Road off-ramp is closed, drivers can take the Edgewater Street exit to Patterson Street and 7th Street to get to Wallace Road. Freight trucks should continue on Edgewater Street to Murlark Avenue, then 7th Street to get to Wallace Road.
When the Front Street on-ramp is closed, drivers can continue on Front Street to Commercial Street, then Marion Street to get onto the bridge.
While the OR 22 ramp continuing into West Salem is closed, drivers can take the Wallace Road off-ramp down Edgewater Street to get back onto the highway.
A detour map for closures on the Marion Street and Wallace Road ramps. (Oregon Department of Transportation)
A detour map for closures on the Front Street and OR 22 ramps. (Oregon Department of Transportation)
-Ardeshir Tabrizian
