Public urged to use caution during construction on Fishhole Creek Road
/
Officials are asking the public to slow down in road construction zones. Following a crash on Fishhole Creek Road near Bly, Oregon. (USFS)
Bly, Ore. – Fremont-Winema National Forest officials are reminding the public to slow down, watch for flaggers and use caution when traveling in road construction zones on the Forest following an accident today.
The accident occurred on Forest Service Road 3790, also known as Fishhole Creek Road, on the Bly Ranger District.
A private vehicle did not stop for the road construction flagger and hit the blade of a federal grader. There were no injuries, but the accident caused traffic delays and stopped work on the project for several hours.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation.
“This project involves large, heavy equipment and employees on the road, which is more complex on the single-lane stretch. We ask all drivers on Fishhole Creek Road during the next several weeks to slow down, be aware of their surroundings, watch for construction activity and help us maintain a safe work area,” said Forest Safety Officer Mike Cuff.
“Today we are extremely fortunate that no one was injured. But is serves as a reminder to pay attention – especially when there are workers on the road,” Cuff said.
Road construction started on Fishhole Creek Road yesterday and is expected to take approximately three weeks.
Forest Service roadcrews were able to make good progress Monday, with .8 miles of asphalt has been milled, ground up and mixed with the cinder base below. An additional .7 miles was completed today despite the accident.
The roadcrew is currently working on blading, shaping and compacting this mix. Rock will be applied as the haul route permits.
Road construction is happening Monday through Thursday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on 3 miles of road, starting at the southern end and moving north to Oregon State Highway 140.
Work is continuing on developing a contract for paving the full 3-mile stretch of road. More information will be shared as the contract is awarded and work is scheduled.
In the meantime, while the surface will be improved ahead of paving, there will still be loose rocks and dirt until the paving work can be done. As on all Forest Roads, drivers should travel at appropriate speeds for the road surface and conditions, allow plenty of space between vehicles and watch for hazards.
Press release provided from the Fremont-Winema National Forest .