UMATILLA Expect delays on Highway 730 in Umatilla as repairs to the Umatilla River Bridge begin Thursday and will last July, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Crews will be working during the daytime typically Monday through Thursday, and drivers can expect lane restrictions and delays of up to 20 minutes. Intermittent lane closures will continue through April, and between May and the end of July the highway will be closed to one lane 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Vehicles over 13 feet wide will be required to detour on Interstate 82 and 84.

Several overnight closures will take place in May and July for resurfacing the bridge deck. Pedestrians will be able to cross the bridge at all times.

ODOT has worked with the City of Umatilla and the county for several years to prepare for this project. In 2011, a public meeting was held in Umatilla to share plans and hear comments regarding this and other transportation projects in the area. The repairs will be done by ODOT?contractor Mowat Construction Company of Clackamas, and will cost $2.5 million.

The original bridge was constructed in 1924 and is one of the few remaining concrete arch support structures of its type in Eastern Oregon. In 1949 a second bridge with similar features was constructed alongside the first one to create the current structure. The bridge measures 431 feet in length with a 30-foot wide roadway, plus four-and-a-half feet on each side for walkways and rails.

For more information contact Eric Forster, ODOT Assistant Project Manager, 541-276-0140, Eric.S.Forster@odot.state.or.us.