6 — December 2019
ODOT/Winter Road Guide
Local resident detour options when I-84 is closed
Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon may be
temporarily closed at times due to severe
weather, crashes or emergency service oper-
ations such as:
• Ice or snow events that result in motor-
ists’ inability to maintain control of their
vehicles.
• Dense fog, blowing snow or dust events
that limits visibility to less than 500 feet.
• Jackknifed trucks or vehicle crashes that
block both traffic lanes.
• Emergency response operation.
• Life Flight landings/take-offs.
• Law enforcement crash investigations.
When a freeway closure event occurs
ODOT will stop traffic in the closest com-
munity downstream from the initial closure
location. This is done to prevent travelers
from becoming stranded in areas without
access to appropriate services (gas stations,
restaurants, motels, etc.).
Unfortunately, this may also prevent local
residents from getting home if they live in
an area that is between the community-
location closure and the actual incident site.
Example: Westbound freeway is blocked
at MP 310 due to crash south of Baker
City. The route is closed at Exit 374 in
Ontario to prevent travelers from becom-
ing stranded on freeway.
A westbound traveler who lives in
Huntington may be stuck in Ontario for
several hours, even when road conditions
to Huntington are passable.
Accommodating local residents
To help get local travelers home under
these circumstances ODOT may provide
access to closed freeway sections when it is
safe and prudent to do so. This process will
only be available for local residents/deliver-
ies and may require drivers to show picture
identification with address to prevent other
travelers from becoming stranded on closed
roadways.
In the event this detour option is avail-
able, a web link listing the details will be
posted on TripCheck.com in the closure
alert message.
“This won’t be available during every clo-
sure, so people will need to check
TripCheck.com for current information,”
said ODOT Public Information Officer Tom
Strandberg. “If conditions allow, we’ll try to
get you home.”
To learn more contact Tom Strandberg at
541-963-1330 or by email at
thomas.m.strandberg@odot.state.or.us.
Icy conditions: what you should know
Bridges and overpasses are
the most dangerous parts of
the road in the winter, but ice
can show up anywhere, unan-
nounced — in a shady corner or
under a canopy of leafl ess trees.
Ideally, you’d never drive on ice:
Ice on the road prevents tires
from gripping, so steering is
diffi cult, stopping is harder and
driving is unpredictable.
And when conditions are
icy, even having a four-wheel
drive vehicle won’t help much
— unless you have chains on
the tires. Chains or other grip-
ping devices are the best way
to travel on ice, if you have to
travel. But even with chains, stopping distance is still several times greater than on dry pavement
with ordinary tires.
Black ice can fool you
It gets even more challenging when black ice appears. Also called glare ice or clear ice, black ice is
a thin layer of ice on the roadway and it is particularly hazardous because the road looks wet, not icy.
Black ice isn’t really black; it’s so thin and transparent that the darker pavement shows through. It
often has a matte appearance rather than the expected gloss.
Black ice is most common at night and very early in the morning, when temperatures are typically
their lowest. It is usually thin enough that it melts soon after sunlight hits it, but it can last much
longer on shaded areas of roadways and parts of the road where traffi c isn’t traveling. Bridges and
overpasses are danger spots: since they do not receive as much heat from the ground and lose more
heat to the air, they can drop below freezing even when the rest of the roadway doesn’t.
If you have to go out during times when roads and bridges are icy, remember these tips:
• Turn off your cruise control, be alert and drive cautiously to avoid ice on the road ahead.
• Slow down and keep your distance from vehicles in front of you. Continue to adjust your speed for
the conditions.
• Allow about three times as much space between vehicles.
• Look for signs of ice other than on the roadway: on windshield wipers, side view mirrors, road
signs, trees or fences. If ice has formed on any of these things, it may be on the road.
• If your vehicle feels like it’s fl oating, gradually slow down; don’t slam on your brakes or you may
skid out of control.
• Do not drive through snow drifts: they may cause your vehicle to lose traction.
• When signs say “Chains required,” you must put chains or other approved devices on your vehicle.
Driveway snow can’t go on the road
The state highway is not a good place to
deposit snow from your driveway. In fact,
it’s against the law to deposit any object
onto Oregon highways and highway right
of way, including snow.
Placing driveway snow on the road or
shoulder creates a hazard for other high-
way users and for ODOT’s snowplow oper-
ators. Chunks of snow and ice form an
uneven road surface that can surprise
drivers and cause crashes.
When snowplows create berms of snow
at the end of driveways, ODOT asks prop-
erty owners to help by shoveling that
snow to the sides of their driveways, rath-
er than back onto the road or shoulder.
If you shovel snow onto the roadway,
you will be asked to clear it away. Or
ODOT may remove the snow and bill you
for the cost of doing so. In addition, you
may be cited under Oregon law; violations
are punishable as a misdemeanor under
Oregon Revised Statute 374.990.