Yaquina is working on concepts "for fewer or no bridges at the four locations. Bridges would be replaced with culverts, and the roadway would be at grade rather than elevated," Little says. Bill McGowan, project principal for Yaquina River Constructors, says his company is "looking at all the options" for bridge and embankment solutions.

Eliminating the four bridges would require significant changes in alignment and profile to enable roadway construction through the four creek drainages, rather than having an elevated alignment on bridges above the drainages.

Yaquina is studying the idea of turning a bridge-heavy project into an at-grade roadway. "It is not impossible," McGowan says. "It is a difficult site, to say the least, and all the solutions are challenging." ODOT hopes construction can resume in 2012 and finish in 2013.

The other seven bridges remain unaffected by slide activity. Over one mile of roadway along the alignment is paved.