ONTARIO, Ore - On October 14th at 10 a.m. Mountain Time (9 a.m. Pacific Time) the Oregon Department of Transportation will hold a completion celebration event for the North Ontario Interchange Project. The event will be held at the Ontario State Park / Recreation Site located adjacent to the new Interstate 84 interchange at Exit 374. Local residents, project stakeholders and other interested parties are encouraged to attend and share in the celebration that will include speeches by project partners, entertainment from the Ontario High School Band, a ribbon cutting ceremony and light refreshments.

The two-year interchange project received $10 million in Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) funds and is the final piece to a set of local projects identified over a decade ago by the Ontario Transportation Solution Project team. This group of local stakeholder first met in 1997 to map out some of the most critical transportation challenges in Ontario. Other projects identified by the group and completed over the past several years include the connection of SW 4th Street to SE 2nd Street with a new bridge over the Union Pacific RR, a new traffic signal controlled intersection at SW 18th Avenue and Oregon Highway 201, and the Tony Yturri Memorial Beltline. With the replacement of the North Ontario Interchange, Oregon Highway 201 is now directly connected to the Yturri Beltline. The combined projects have improved safety, provided alternative routes in and around the city of Ontario and created a smoother, more efficient transportation system for farm to market transport and all other traffic.

The Ontario State Park / Recreation Site is located along Oregon Highway 201 next to I-84 Exit 374. There is easy access to parking, picnic tables and restroom facilities. The event will take place at the east end of the park.