Area ODOT road work moves ahead
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Monday, July 14, 2008 10:59 AM PDT
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| Larry Meyer | Argus Observer
With the nearly complete overpass at the North Ontario Interchange in the background, westbound motorists on Interstate 84 pass what will become the extended on- ramp from the interchange, which includes a wider bridge over the Malheur River. |
ONTARIO—Construction work on the new North Ontario Interchange is nearly complete but another Oregon Department of Transportation project will begin today.
That construction venture — a project to pave the first six miles of Oregon Highway 201 toward Weiser from the new interchange with two inches of asphalt — will spark traffic delays and lane closures with pilot cars directing traffic through the area.
The paving project, a short one, is expected to be completed in about a week.
Also, things are soon be happening quickly to finish work on the interchange, which mainly includes completion of the new bridge over the freeway.
“The deck has been poured,” Tom Strandberg, ODOT spokesperson, said. “They are about ready to open it up.”
More work will be completed Tuesday, according to ODOT.
“There will be some paving Tuesday,” Teresa Bock, ODOT assistance project manager, said. “The removal phase of the old bridge will take place over six nights.”
During the removal work traffic will be routed off, of Interstate 84 for about a quarter-mile via the on- and off-ramps at the interchange.
The exact timetable for completion of the new structures and removal of the old one will be available this week, Strandberg said.
Also to be completed are a lane added to the westbound interstate bridge over the Malheur River to accommodate the extended westbound on-ramp from the North Interchange, as well as final paving from the bridge to the Yturri Memorial Beltline at Washington Avenue.
Also underway, in Malheur County is a 66-mile chip-sealing project on U.S. Highway 95 from the Idaho border to Burns Junction.
Motorists can expect loose rock on the roadway, lane closure and delays of up to 20 minutes with pilot cares directing traffic day and night.
This project is expected to be completed by early August.
Motorists traveling on U.S. Highway 20 toward the central and western parts of the state will face highway construction west of Burns at Riley Junction — the intersection of U.S. 20 and U.S. 395.
The current “Y” configuration of the intersection will be changed to a “T” type intersection to reduce the potential for crashes. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
East of Burns a chip-seal project is underway between Burns and Stinkingwater Creek, which will be completed by next month.
