Page 6
ODOT Winter Road Guide
January 2016
2015 transportation projects in review
The 2015 construction season was another
busy one for ODOT crews and contractors as
they worked on over $50 million worth of
transportation improvement and preservation
projects here on the eastern side of the state.
These projects keep highways safe and
ef¿cient for all users promote tourism and
provide good paying jobs to hundreds of
contractors many of whom live in the area.
Dollars provided for transportation projects
also get cycled back into local economies
when contractors purchase material supplies
food lodging local labor support and other
services.
Community investment
“Keeping eastern Oregon’s highways
in good condition bene¿ts everyone´ said
ODOT Area Manager Craig Sipp. “It provides
safe roads for local users keeps commerce
moving and helps attract travelers from across
the country and around the world. Vacationers
spend millions of dollars in Oregon each year
while enjoying our uniTue small communities
beautiful mountains rivers lakes trails and
parklands.´
This was demonstrated in September
when Cycle Oregon once again made the dry
side of the state their premier destination for
2200 cyclists who came from many parts of
the globe. During the week-long ride they
ventured along highways and rural roads in
8nion %aker and Malheur counties. :hile
their planned trip to ride the Hells Canyon
Scenic %yway was cut short due to a wild¿re
near Halfway the group spent a great time
and a fair amount of money boosting local
economies at the tail end of the summer
season.
2015 Project Highlights:
Listed below are some of the key 2015
construction projects that preserved the
e[isting system repaired or replaced bridges
and culverts improved operation and safety
features such as traf¿c signals and signs
or added new highway lanes intersections
sidewalks and other components to the
transportation infrastructure.
Pavement preservation
Pavement preservation work that
includes resurfacing the roadways with new
asphalt concrete or a chip seal application
covered nearly 350 lane miles of highway
this year. Chip seals were applied to over
10 lane miles along O5 2 O5 203 O5
O5 20 O5 1 and other routes. These
operations lay down a thin layer of rock
chips in emulsi¿ed oil and are a good cost
effective way to extend the useful life of
existing pavements.
Another 115 lane miles of highway
surfaces received longer lasting pavement
overlays or inlays that added or replaced
several inches of new asphalt to create a
smooth ride for motorists. These included
sections of I-84 west of La Grande and
south of %aker City 8.S. 20 west of Harper
8.S. 202 east of Vale 8.S. 35 south of
8kiah O5 334 west of Athena and other
routes.
Sections of I-84 also received concrete
surface upgrades that included 16 lane miles
in the westbound and eastbound truck lanes
west of La Grande. The three-year I-84
Kamela to Second Street project replaced
old asphalt along an eight-mile stretch of
freeway this year with a similar amount
Ladd creek culvert concrete pour.
constructed in 2014. The one-foot-thick
layer of rock hard pavement is expected
to last for decades under the area’s harsh
winter conditions and heavy truck traf¿c.
In addition nearly 10 miles of old concrete
pavement between Huntington and Farewell
%end received much needed repairs to
remove ruts and other signs of aging.
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We OU NEED!
WHAT Y
• Parts
• Batteries
• Brakes
• Oil & Filters
• Tools &
Equipment
• Accessories
Hermiston
Auto Parts, Inc.
Kevin & Georgia Cleaver
Owner
Ladd Creek culvert prior to construction of freeway undercrossing.
200 S. First Place,
Hermiston
541-567-5569
541-567-4353