Grants Pass, Ore. — An 86-year-old Grants Pass landmark is ready to get a facelift. The Oregon Department of Transportation announced plans to rehabilitate the caveman bridge.
The total cost to refurbish caveman bridge will be $5.3 million.
It’s the most popular route to get onto Highway 199, 238, or even to coastal cities. It’s made good use over the past 86 years, and now, it’s ready for a facelift.
“It’s been a landmark in Grants Pass,” said Colene Martin, CEO for the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce.
An 86-year-old landmark to be exact. The Caveman Bridge in Grants Pass was built in 1931.
“When you’re traveling you always remember something that you saw, something that stuck out to you,” Martin said.
For many passing through grants pass, that’s the caveman bridge. Now, it’s getting the enhancements it needs. The bridge is a gateway for drivers traveling throughout Southern Oregon.
“Going across the bridge, you can go in three directions. You can go out Highway 238, you can go to the coast, or you can head back to the freeway,” Martin said.
The bridge sees hundreds of thousands of cars a year… Giving it it’s fair share of wear and tear.
“The bridge obviously has aged overtime,” said Gary Leaming, ODOT.
ODOT said the planned renovation is a 16-month long project.
“We’re trying to keep the impacts to the public as little as possible,” Leaming said.
That means the bulk of the construction will happen at night, as an effort to not interfere with rush hour traffic.
“There’ll be some noise during the day. There will so some noise at night, but we’ll try to keep that to a minimum,” Leaming said.
Though there may be times of inconvenience, ODOT wants people to know that it will all be worth it for the landmark, Caveman Bridge, to get its makeover.
“When everything is said and done, this bridge will look pretty much like it did when it opened in 1931,” Leaming said.
The project includes repairing cracked sections of concrete, and replacing the bridge rail. ODOT also held an open house Wednesday night at The Lodge at Riverside for the public to ask questions and learn more.
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