Joshua Thompson works on removing the railing along 2nd Street, La Grande on the the bridge the crosses over the Grande Ronde River and Interstate 84 on Monday, March 21, 2022.

LA GRANDE — The Oregon Department of Transportation is launching a bridge renovation and building drive that will restore six spans in Union and Baker counties and replace another in Wallowa County.

Work is now starting on three of the projects — two in La Grande and one in Wallowa County.

The two La Grande spans are the North Second Street bridge about 250 yards southeast of the Union County Fairgrounds, and McAlister Lane Bridge near the Flying J Travel Center truck stop. Both bridges are over Interstate 84.

Work on the North Second Street bridge started Monday, March 21, and is expected to be completed by the end of July, said ODOT spokesperson Tom Strandberg. The bridge will be closed to motorized traffic until the work is finished but bicyclists and pedestrians, including those with disabilities, will be allowed access through the work zone.

Crews working at the North Second Street site will upgrade bridge rails to current standards, repair and seal deck surfaces, and perform other repairs to keep structures safe and in good condition.

Work on the bridge will not affect traffic on Interstate 84, which runs under the span. ODOT will stage a detour around the work zone.

Crews contracted by ODOT began work at the McAlister Lane Bridge over I-84 on March 14. Containment devices were installed to prevent debris from the project from falling to I-84. There will be occasional traffic delays at this site through June when work should be finished, Strandberg said.

Work that will be done later includes the removal and replacement of the existing bridge railing with a new one that meets current vehicular crash standards, the installation of new protective screening and sealing the existing bridge deck to extend the life of the surface.

The work scheduled for Wallowa County will involve the replacement of the Bear Creek Bridge on Highway 82 near Wallowa. Removal of vegetation at the site to allow for bridge building started March 14.

“Basically, we will be replacing the bridge over the Wallowa River just to the north of the town of Wallowa,’’ Strandberg said.

The narrow bridge will replace an 80-year-old span that requires upgrades and repairs. The bridge will continue to be used until the new span is completed.

Freeze-thaw cycles have damaged concrete railings, sidewalk and other portions of it, said Vicki Moles, an ODOT community affairs specialist.

“Erosion and debris jeopardize the bridge’s foundations,” Moles said.

Strandberg said that unless the old bridge is replaced there is a good chance that it would eventually have to be closed for repairs, something that would cause a major disruption for those traveling to and from northwest Wallowa County.

The new bridge, which will cost $14.3 million, is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

Other bridge projects to be started this year in Wallowa, Union and Baker counties, all on or adjacent to I-84, include the Upper Perry Bridge, about 5 miles east of La Grande; the on- and off-ramp bridges at Exit 259, 2 miles east of La Grande; and the Highway 86 bridge at Exit 302, just north of Baker City.

All of the seven ODOT projects except for replacement of the Bear Creek Bridge are expected to be completed at least by November, according to ODOT.