Future of N. Oregon Coast: Three Capes' Sandlake Road Bridge Will Get Replaced

Published 12/19/24 at 5:25 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Pacific City, Oregon) – Along the Three Capes Loop, just a tad north of Galloway Road, a north Oregon coast bridge is about to go under the knife. (Seen here is Cape Lookout Road near the bridge, flanked by sands and brush of the Sandlake area - Oregon Coast Beach Connection.)

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said Sandlake Road Bridge is getting replaced in the next year or two, and you're going to start seeing crews of some sort checking out the area. Mostly, it's going to be survey work being done – and there are absolutely no traffic issues that will hit the area.

“You may see our crew in the area doing survey work to prepare for our planned 2026 construction,” ODOT said in a release. “We are replacing the bridge to prevent current and future erosion and to ensure a reliable U.S. 101 detour route.”

Still, you should be cautious as you drive over the bridge, as there may people working around it.

The Sandlake Road Bridge is east of Hemlock at about milepost 5, and just north of the main route into the Sandlake Recreation Area. This one is an important road, especially when geologic or traffic issues hit the main route through this part of the north Oregon coast.

Sandlake Recreation Area / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

“The Sandlake Road Bridge is in poor condition. It is on one of the only routes we use to detour traffic off of U.S. 101 in this general area,” ODOT said. “Since U.S. 101 needs to be closed often for landslide repairs, this bridge is critical for north and southbound traffic to use as a detour.”

Design stages have been happening this year and into 2025. Construction is slated to begin in 2026 at a cost of $3.5 million.

Map courtesy ODOT

When work begins, ODOT said pedestrians, including those with disabilities, will have access through or around the work zone.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Just north of the bridge is Cape Lookout Road, which connects east to Highway 101 and northward into Cape Lookout State Park and the headland.

Recent Construction Triumph

Courtesy Tillamook Coast

Earlier this year, the Three Capes Route became the Three Cape Loop again, after ten years of being closed off due to a landslide near Cape Meares. It opened to much fanfare this summer and with some stunning new sights. Once again, the Three Capes Loop was a loop and not a “Route” that simply ended just before Cape Meares and you had to turn around.

Now, there's a sleek and eye-popping road back in service, coming complete with new pullouts that are occasionally jaw-dropping. Visit Tillamook Coast and various county agencies this summer released more photos of the extremely photogenic place and produced a video on this intriguing project, showing off a decade worth of careful design and realignment. Cape Meares Loop Rd. Reopens, N. Oregon Coast's Three Capes is 'Loop' Again After 10 Years

Hotels in Three Capes - Where to eat - Three Capes Maps and Virtual Tours

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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