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| Construction on OR Hwy. 82 |
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Turn Lane Construction on OR Hwy. 82 near Wal-Mart
September 18, 2007 La Grande, Oregon
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s contractor for the Riddle Road to Imbler Paving Project has begun construction of a right turn lane along Oregon Highway 82 (Island Avenue) near the Taco Bell Restaurant for northbound vehicles heading into the Wal-Mart shopping complex. The new turn lane will improve safety for traffic along the route. To accommodate the work, the northbound right lane of the highway and the sidewalk at the construction site will be closed for several weeks. Motorists heading northbound on the highway and wishing to enter the Wal-Mart shopping complex will need to use the Walton Road entrance, located at the traffic signal. The right-turn-only exit from the shopping complex at the work site will remain open, however, travelers are advised to avoid the construction zone and use the signal controlled exit at Walton Road. Pedestrians walking between La Grande and the shopping complex are encouraged to use the sidewalk on the north side of the highway, crossing at the Riddle Road and Walton Road signal controlled crosswalks.
The turn lane construction is the final component of the state’s $5.25 million Riddle Road to Imbler Paving Project that began earlier this summer. The project included pavement upgrades along a 12-mile section of Oregon Highway 82 between Riddle Road in La Grande and Imbler.
Culvert and turn lane work near Pierce Lane, and some sidewalk improvements along the highway in Island City were also part of the project. All work is scheduled to be completed by early October.
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| La Grande - Union Hwy |
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La Grande - Union Hwy (OR 203) Update
September 10, 2007
Construction activities along the La Grande - Union Highway (Oregon Highway 203) will gear up for a short period this week as Oregon Department of Transportation contractors apply pavement striping to the roadway between the Flying J Truck Stop and the city of Union. Motorists are advised to expect delays of up to twenty minutes with flaggers and pilot cars controlling traffic at times. The striping work is expected to be completed by the end of next week, with possible minor delays at times through the end of the month.
"On Monday or Tuesday, the route between the Flying J Truck Stop and Union will be broomed to clean the pavement surface prior to striping," said ODOT spokesperson Tom Strandberg. "Beginning Tuesday, the highway striping work should begin, starting with the area between the Union Interchange and the gun club. After this section is completed, work will move to the chip sealed section of the highway that extends from the gun club to the Union city limits."
"Some people may have been wondering why it has taken so long for the striping work to be done on this highway section," Strandberg said. "In most cases we will stripe a newly paved highway right after it is completed."
On the La Grande - Union Highway section ODOT is using a modified urethane type of striping material that comes with a one-year guarantee. The striping material supplier required a one-month waiting period for the pavement surface to cure before the paint could be applied.
"This paving project has taken a little longer than others, but it will be completed soon and should last for many years," said Strandberg. "ODOT appreciates everyone’s patience and we ask that motorists continue to be extra careful along the route and pass with extreme caution, since the center stripes and fog lines won't be painted until next week."
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| Winter Driving Safety |
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Car Care Critical for Winter Driving Safety
December, 2007
Instrument Panel Review
Every time you start your car they glow to greet you, but usually, after a few seconds of engine operation, they fade away-hopefully not to be seen again until the next engine start.
AAA and ODOT are urging motorists to be aware of the red and yellow indicators on a vehicle's instrument panel that illuminate when a problem occurs.
"Motorists need to be aware of the critical 'big three' warning lights, which include those that monitor engine oil pressure, engine coolant temperature, and vehicle charging system," says Elliott Eki of AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs. "To reduce the chances of vehicle damage or a roadside breakdown, these warning lights require prompt and proper action when they illuminate."
When the ignition key is first turned to the ON position, all of the vehicle's warning lights should
illuminate. The "big three" lights typically remain on until the engine is started and running. If a warning light fails to illuminate at this time, have the related system checked out by an auto repair facility.
Once the engine is running, all the warning lights should go out within a few seconds. If any light remains illuminated, consult your owner's manual.
AAA promotes the importance of preventive maintenance. The most common vehicle deficiencies include weak batteries, worn or damaged wiper blades, clogged air filters, low washer fluid, dirty or low motor oil, and low anti-freeze levels.
"Breakdowns are most often preventable by simply ensuring that your vehicle is regularly maintained," Eki said. "The state of health and durability of things like batteries, fluid levels, and tire conditions all come into question especially during the winter season when extremely cold temperatures can put even the most reliable devices to the test."
Winter Car Care Inspection
Listed below are 12 key inspection points that will help keep you safely moving down the road. Your vehicle's owners manual will show you how to perform these inspections and provide fluid level data other important vehicle maintenance information. If you don't have an owners' manual, check with your local auto repair shop for assistance.
1. Battery check for loose cables and corroded terminals
2. Anti-freeze check for strength in the radiator overflow reservoir
3. Oil level check with the vehicle's dipstick
4. Brake fluid level check
5. Power steering fluid level check
6. Automatic transmission fluid level check
7. Inspection of all belts and hoses
8. Inspection of the air filter
9. Windshield washer fluid level check
10. Inspection of windshield wipers
11. Light and turn signal inspection
12. Inspection of tire tread wear and inflation if necessary
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| Oregon Hwy 7 Bike/Ped |
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OR Hwy. 7 Bike/Ped Path to be paved late Aug.
BAKER CITY, Ore. - Oregon Department of Transportation maintenance crews have been working on a project along the Whitney Highway (Oregon Highway 7) near the south end of Baker City to improve safety for bicycle riders, pedestrians and motorists. The project includes extending existing pedestrian/bicycle pathways in the area by widening the shoulders along a one-and-a-half-mile stretch of Oregon Highway 7 between mile points 49 and 50.5. Initial earth work was performed earlier this summer. Depending on weather conditions and availability of equipment, shoulder paving activities are expected to begin around Aug. 27 and continue for four or five days. During this time travelers can expect lane closures and delays of up to 20 minutes along this section of highway.
The new bike/pedestrian pathway extends along the east side of the highway from the northern intersection of David Eccles Way to the intersection of Indiana Avenue. On the west side of the highway, the pathway will extend to South Foothill Drive. Striping paint to mark the new pathways will be applied at a later date.
"The project included expanding the two-foot shoulders to six feet in width to create the new pathway," said ODOT Baker Maintenance Manager Brad Payton. "We not only widened the shoulders, but also re-shaped them to create a recoverable slope."
A recoverable slope helps prevent crashes by giving errant drivers a safer path to get safely back on the highway if they should veer off the road.
ODOT crews from the Richland and Baker sections have also been busy this summer constructing shoulder improvements along the Baker-Copperfield Highway (Oregon Highway 86) between mile points 11 and 15, east of Baker City.
"The shoulder work along Oregon Highway 86 includes constructing recoverable slopes and removing material adjacent to the highway that, in the past, has blocked sunlight from melting snow and ice off of the road during colder temperatures," Payton said. "Highway safety improvements like these are always a key part of our summer construction activities."
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| Stanton Blvd Closed In Nov. |
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Closure of Stanton Boulevard over Interstate 84 rescheduled for November
ONTARIO, Oregon
July, 2007
A contractor for the Oregon Department of Transportation announced today that a July 9 road closure scheduled for the Stanton Boulevard bridge over Interstate 84 at exit 371 is being delayed until November. The freeway and Stanton Boulevard will remain open through the summer.
The contractor will announce the November overpass closure date this fall. When the Stanton Boulevard overpass is closed, the following detours will be in place to maintain local access to, from and across I-84:
Stanton Boulevard east-west traffic:
Detour via Oak Road, Ontario Heights Road and Community Road to cross over the freeway.
Stanton Boulevard east to I-84 eastbound and Stanton Boulevard west to I-84 westbound:
Detour via Chester Road and Highway 201 to I-84 exit 374.
See attached detour map.
Drivers should watch for signs marking these detour routes.
The repairs to the Stanton Boulevard bridge over I-84 are part of a project under way that will also replace the eastbound I-84 bridge over Doman Road/Oak Road and repair both the eastbound and westbound I-84 bridges over the Snake River. All work on these bridges is scheduled to be completed in October 2008.
ODOT is working with the Idaho Transportation Department to fund the bridge work. ITD is funding half the cost to repair the I-84 Snake River bridges. The balance of the bridge repair and replacement work is funded by the Oregon Transportation Investment Act.
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| Safety Corridor Decommissioned |
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Traffic Safety Improvements prompt Decommissioning of Safety Corridor along U.S. Hwy. 395
April 5, 2007 HERMISON, OR
Due to a reduction in crashes and fatalities along U.S. Highway 395 the designated Traffic Safety Corridor in Hermiston will be decommissioned on April 10. The highway section is located at Hermiston’s North City Limits between the junction of U.S. Highway 730 at mile point zero and Theater Lane at mile point 4.3. Crash rates have significantly dropped over the past few years to a point where the safety corridor designation is not longer needed.
“As of April 10, 2007, the signs for the US 395 Safety Corridor in Hermiston will be taken down and doubling of fines or any other penalties based on the safety corridor designation will no longer be in effect,” said ODOT Region 5 Traffic Safety Coordinator Patty McClure.
The route was given the Safety Corridor designation in February 1997 due to a higher number of crashes and fatalities than other similar highway sections in the state. Signs that identify the highway section as a safety corridor, remind motorists to turn on their lights for safety and advised that traffic fines are double along the route were installed as part of an educational program to get drivers to pay extra attention in the area. Since then, police have spent many hours writing citations and judges have educated errant drivers in the courts. Fines levied as a result of a citation have left an impression not only on those drivers, but on their friends and families as to the seriousness of not obeying traffic signs and rules.
“The community at large has supported the educational programs and have become more educated themselves on the risks of poor driving,” McClure said. “The end result is that more drivers are paying extra attention and choosing to comply with traffic laws.”
Decommissioning
Based on data for the last three years, the designated section of U.S. Highway 395 no longer qualifies for the safety corridor program.
“This means that fatal and serious injury crashes for the last three years no longer exceed 110% of the statewide average for similar roadways,” McClure said. “We have improved safety in this area and that is what the program is all about.”
Removal of the safety corridor designation does not mean motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians should no longer use extra caution along this highway section.
“The route is being decommissioned to show support for the success of the program,” McClure said. “However, local leaders, enforcement professionals, legislators and concerned citizens will maintain their vigilance in this area – we will continue to monitor crashes, patrol the highway, make road improvements, educate the public and encourage safe driving.”
More information about traffic safety corridors is available on ODOT’s Web site at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/docs/Roadway/2006Safety_Corridor_Guidelines.pdf, or by contacting Patty McClure at 541-963-1387.
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| Kimberly Bridge Project |
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Monument/Kimberly Bridge Project Continues in Grant County
MONUMENT, Ore. - The Oregon Department of Transportation’s contractor James W. Fowler Co. of Dallas, Oregon, will continue construction activities at the Monument and Kimberly bridges, located in Grant County, through the summer. Motorists can expect single-lane traffic and minor traffic delays at both structures this year, plus a complete closure of Oregon Highway 19 at the Kimberly Bridge from June 2 to June 21. The Monument Bridge is located in Monument along Oregon Route 402 (mile point 13). The Kimberly Bridge is located in Kimberly along Oregon Highway 19 (mile point 105.6). During the Kimberly Bridge closure traffic will be detoured between Kimberly and Mt. Vernon on Oregon Route 402 (Kimberly to Long Creek) and U.S. Highway 395 (Long Creek to Mt. Vernon).
“Replacement of the Monument Bridge and repair work on the Kimberly Bridge is needed to ensure the prolonged safety and efficiency of these highway routes,” said ODOT Project Leader Ken Patterson.
The $5.75 million bridge project began in March. Repair work on the Kimberly Bridge will be completed by the end of the year. The replacement of the Monument Bridge will be completed by the end of 2009.
Both structures were built in the nineteen thirties and are in need of immediate attention. More information about this bridge project is available by reviewing the ODOT Region 5 Project Information pages on this Web site by contacting ODOT Public Information Officer Tom Strandberg at 541-963-1330 or the ODOT Ontario Project Manager’s Office at 541-823-8320.
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