Less than three months after getting officially underway, the state’s $20.2 million repaving and reconstruction project on Highway 99E through Canby has hit a major snag and will be paused for an indefinite period of time, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced Friday.
ODOT officials said that, during excavation work on the 1.5-mile section of Highway 99E that is under construction, crews found a crack in a 1960s-era stormwater pipe that needs to be replaced before additional work on the road can continue.
“With the information we had while designing the project, we anticipated the pipe would not need significant work,” officials said in an email Friday. “After excavating around it, we know this isn’t the case.”
If the work were to continue without replacing the pipe, the use of heavy equipment could cause further damage, ODOT says. And, replacing it now will reduce the likely scenario of having to tear up the new pavement to fix leaks or replace the pipe in the future.
ODOT did not say how much the pipe would cost to replace or how long it would take, or how long the project would be delayed. Officials are currently working to determine the best way to replace the pipe and complete the project.
The project officially kicked off with sidewalk work and curb replacement late last year.
The repaving of 99E began in January on the west side of town near Berg Parkway and was initially anticipated to wrap up in the fall of 2023 at the Pine Street intersection.
Future updates will be posted to the ODOT project website and through email when available.
