January 15, 2009
Grand River Dam Authority News Bulletin:

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December 30, 2009
For required inspection…Pensacola Dam roadway to be closed January 11 – 22Langley – In an effort to allow the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to complete a required, comprehensive inspection of the roadway and bridge decking, the Grand River Dam Authority is announcing that the Pensacola Dam will be closed to all traffic -- from 8 AM to 5 PM -- January 11 through 22. The roadway will be open all day on January 16 and 17 (Saturday and Sunday) and also open on Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King Day). During a preliminary inspection, on Wednesday, January 6, flagmen will direct traffic across the dam.“The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will be conducting an inspection across the dam, and during that time, the roadway must be closed,” said GRDA Communications Director Justin Alberty. “While we realize that will be an inconvenience for many people, the closure is necessary to insure safety during this work.”

GRDA is making an effort to inform the public of the closing as soon as possible, so that plans can be made to detour traffic along alternate routes. Flyers, including a map of those routes will be distributed around the lake area, and notices are also going out to the media, said Alberty. “We will also be posting information on our web site, grda.com, and sending email reminders to our lake area stakeholder database,” he added.

Alberty said the required inspection will be lengthy, as crews will use a special “snooper” truck to inspect the underside of the bridge, between each of the dam’s 51 arches. Similar inspections of the roadway, which welcomed its first traffic in 1940, have been done in the past, he said.

Of course, all the work is weather permitting. Inclement weather conditions could postpone the inspections and in that case, “GRDA will certainly make the public aware of the alternate schedule,” said Alberty.

“This inspection is necessary to insure we have a safe roadway for the public,” he added, “and we certainly appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as this important works takes place.”

Alternate travel routes:

For those who must travel to the opposite side of Pensacola Dam during the road closing, here are alternate routes:

Traveling from Disney side to Langley side:
Head east out of Disney on Highway 28 for approximately 10 miles until the junction with Highway 20.
Turn right (west) onto Highway 20 and follow it, approximately 9 miles, to the Highway 82/20 junction.
Stay straight through the junction on Highway 82 for approximately 4 miles into Langley.

Traveling from Langley side to Disney side:
Head south out of Langley on Highway 82 for approximately 4 miles, to the Highway 82/20 junction.
Stay straight through the junction to follow Highway 20 east, for approximately 9 miles.
Then turn left (north) onto Highway 28 and follow it approximately 10 miles into Disney.

Dam Closing Schedule (weather permitting)

Closed 8 AM to 5 PM:
Monday, January 11 – Friday, January 22

Dam WILL BE OPEN:
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, January 16 - 18,
be closed January 11 – 22

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