YACHATS – The second stage of a three-part plan to upgrade East Second Street neared its finish Monday as construction crews laid asphalt on a $450,00 project that rebuilt 560 feet of the road.
After years if complaints from neighbors, the project was originally intended to start in June 2022. But that was cancelled after bids came in 62 percent higher than expected.
The city and its engineering company reworked details of the project, received a $250,000 grant from the state – after returning a $100,000 award — and re-bid the project. Work started July 6 and the last details and cleanup should finish this week.
“I’m pretty happy with everything,” said Yachats streets and water supervisor Rick McClung. “And the neighbors have been very good and patient during all the disruptions.”
The first phase of the project took place in September 2019, when the city rebuilt East Second Street from Prospect to U.S. Highway 101 behind the Drift Inn restaurant and motel. That cost just $90,000.
The second phase covers a 560-foot stretch of East Second Street from Prospect to Loma Avenue. It involved replacing an aging asbestos and concrete waterline, re-lining a sewer pipe, improving drainage on the hill, putting in curbs on part of the road, and repaving the street. The steep road ranges from 10 to 16 feet in width.
After getting the larger state grant, the city’s cost was $200,000, which came from its capital budgets for water and street projects.
McClung said the third phase – that could come in 2025 after he applies for another state grant – would continue the rebuilding of Second Street farther east to Cedar Avenue and then repair Cedar south to Yachats River Road.
The contractor should be done with the work this week, McClung said, after cleanup, installing signs and marking some of the pavement. “They’ve moved right along,” he said.
Nice job! Hopefully, the city will apply a temporary patch to the southwest corner of Cedar and Second soon. It wouldn’t be good to wait until 2025 to address the crumbling roadway at that intersection.
Yes indeed I agree, and we live on that street so it’s been an ongoing issue. The water line under that area was repaired last year and gravel was left over it, so guess what? The water line is leaking again and it almost reaches us all the way down the street! It’s not a problem for us but it would seem a good idea to do a temporary fix to tide it over until the bigger improvements can be done.