Apiary Road John Gumm Historic Courthouse
|  Apiary Road Wash Out Repair ProjectApiary Road UpdateApiary Road at MP 11.8 has reopened. What to expect: Some work remains, so please drive slowly through this section. Upcoming work:
Next week (starting August 12), there will be single-lane closures for finishing tasks like shoulder rocking, hydroseeding, and intersection cleaning on Schaffer Road. Traffic will still be allowed through the area during this time. Project HistoryApiary Road was closed due to severe damage from the critical failure of a culvert at MP 11.8 near Schaffer Road. This led to emergency construction and repair efforts, including erosion control and a comprehensive survey to guide the final restoration design. The culvert is located in an area that is home to protected coastal cutthroat trout. While regulatory requirements for this species are a factor, the larger delay has been due to environmental regulations concerning the placement of structures within the ordinary high-water mark of state waters, particularly for a culvert in a continuously flowing tributary rather than a seasonal draw. Below is an overview of events since Public Works first identified the issue at this location: January 2023 - Public Works identified that the wooden culvert at MP 11.8 on Apiary Road, likely built in the 1940s or 1950s, had started to fail.
- The culvert channels an unnamed tributary of the Clatskanie River under the road.
- Public Works monitored the situation while preparing for upcoming projects and seasonal work.
August 2023 - Efforts to address the failing culvert began with the sleeving of the upstream end using a squashed metal culvert.
- Construction of an access road and removal of debris and trees also commenced.
- During this process, Public Works discovered that the northern end of the wooden structure had further collapsed, making the initial stabilization plan unworkable for winter.
- Public Works reached out to:
- Department of State Lands (DSL)
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
- Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) as an adjacent landowner.
November 2023 - The situation worsened, necessitating a complete replacement of the culvert.
- Public Works coordinated with DSL, ODFW, USACE, ODF, and contractors to determine the best approach.
- The Board of County Commissioners declared an emergency, leading to:
- The closure of Apiary Road at MP 11.8.
- Authorization of emergency construction and repair.
January 2024 - Adverse weather compounded the problem, causing additional damage to the culvert and road, including erosion and washout.
- Water ponding north of Apiary Road created localized flooding risks and further threatened the road.
- Public Works contacted ODFW and USACE to expedite repairs.
- DSL classified the work as maintenance, eliminating the need for additional permits.
February 2024 - Information from ODFW, USACE, and DSL was shared with the contractor.
- Apiary Road is excavated to relieve ponding water and protect the remaining road.
- Erosion control measures, including straw waddles and hydroseeding, were implemented.
April 2024 - Tapani, Inc., the county’s contractor, conducted a survey and geotechnical analysis of the area.
- Public Works and Tapani identified the most effective solution, which entered the final design phase.
- ODFW met with Public Works to review the current proposal.
May 2024 - Tapani’s engineering consultant, Otak, began developing detailed design plans based on geotechnical and survey data.
June 2024 - Design plans were completed.
- Tapani mobilized and began restoring the failed section of Apiary Road.
July 2024 - Tapani commenced excavation and reconstruction of the roadway.
- Note: Although brief, this work involved moving over 30 feet of rock across a 120-foot length. The scale of the task required hundreds of truckloads of rock, each placed one cubic yard at a time, making the progress within a month impressive.
August 2024 - Tapani, with subcontractor Lakeside Industries, completed paving on Apiary Road and began final finishing work.
updated: 8/12/2024 | PARTNER AGENCIESOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Department of Forestry Department of State Lands US Army Corps of Engineers
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