Surprise Discovery Alters Road Work Timeline

After an unexpected discovery of nearly 85-year-old materials below Pearl Street, storm water and repaving prep work will keep the construction sites closed longer than anticipated.

Eleventh Avenue will be closed starting April 22 between High Alley and Pearl Street. Drivers should follow posted detour routes, slow down and watch out for workers and equipment. Eleventh Avenue is expected to reopen by April 26.

Starting April 29, Pearl Street will be closed for three weeks between Broadway and 10th Avenue. Southbound traffic will be rerouted to Willamette Street during the closure.

Last month, paving contractors found materials beneath the street from its original construction in the 1940s, primarily round rock that was standard at the time. Unfortunately, round rock tends to shift easily, which compromises the stability of the roadway and must be replaced. Current practice is to use a rougher aggregate rock that doesn't shift.

The City recognizes that street closures are inconvenient and challenging to the community, especially considering multiple projects are underway. However, the final outcome-a freshly repaved street and walking improvements-are beneficial to all road users and residents of Eugene. Businesses in the vicinity of this work have been notified and will continue to receive weekly updates on progress.

After the round rock from the 1940s is mitigated, Pearl Street will reopen to traffic during the day. Paving of Oak and Pearl streets will occur at night in order to lessen the impact to business and community members. That work will start in mid-June and continue until the end of July.

Community members can find a list of current projects and weekly road construction updates on the City website.