January 2016
Bridge and culvert
Bridge and culvert work resulted in
the replacement or repair of over a dozen
structures. One major accomplishment was
the OR 207 Hinkle Bridge located south of
Hermiston, near I-84 Exit 182. This three-
year bridge replacement project began in
2013, and was completed this year.
$nother signi¿cant undertaking was the
replacement of the Ladd Creek culvert that
runs under I-84 near Exit 271, east of La
Grande. The project was a top priority for
ODOT, the Department of Fish and Wildlife
and other agencies as the construction of the
freeway in the late 1960’s stopped native
salmon and other ¿sh species from reaching
spawning grounds along upper Ladd Creek
and other tributaries feeding into Ladd
Canyon. The project installed over 500
feet of culvert, restored a short section of
the creek that was moved decades ago and
removed a 25-foot vertical shaft that was part
of the old culvert system. The work opened
up 14 miles of ¿sh habitat that had been
restricted for decades.
Other culvert and bridge projects included
replacing a small bridge along OR 339 near
Milton-Freewater; installing new culverts
under OR 237 near Cove; replacing two
old culverts under U.S. 30 east of La Grande
near McAlister Lane and replacing two
undersized culverts along U.S. 395 south of
John Day. Structures needing repairs included
the freeway undercrossing tunnel at Deadman
Pass rest area, four freeway bridges along
I-84 near North Powder and several U.S. 95
bridges between Succor Creek and Rome in
Malheur County.
Operations and safety improvements
Operations and safety improvements to
upgrade traf¿c signals, signs, intersections
and safety-related features for motorists,
pedestrians and bicyclists were constructed in
several locations throughout the region. These
included signal and intersection enhancements
along U.S. 20 in Burns, and at the U.S. 395
and Southgate Place intersection in Pendleton.
The Southgate project included approximately
1,000 feet of new six-foot wide concrete
walkways along the west side of U.S. 395.
Another intersection in Pendleton at Frazer
Avenue and SW 13th Street received A.D.A.
upgrades and new rapid Àash beacons at the
designated school crossing. Over a dozen
traf¿c signals in Hermiston and La Grande
also received upgrades this year to improved
function and reliability. In John Day a project
to upgrade sidewalks and enhance the look
SLOW DOWN.
BETTER ROADS AHEAD.
The Way to Go. Transportation Safety — ODOT
ODOT Winter Road Guide
Page 7
Construction of the Hinkle Bridge south of Hermiston.
of downtown along Main Street/U.S. 26 and
Canyon Blvd/U.S. 395 was completed in time
for the summer season. Motorists saw life-
saving rumble strip upgrades along sections
of U.S. 20, U.S. 26, U.S. 395, U.S. 95, OR
207 and other routes to help keep them in their
travel lanes. Bicyclists also saw improvements
along U.S. 26 west of Mt. Vernon where the
highway shoulders were widened to provide
four feet of space outside the fog line rumble
strip.
New infrastructure
New infrastructure to the transportation
system was added near Umatilla, where U.S.
730 connects to Powerline Road. The close
proximity of this intersection to the Umatilla
River Bridge resulted in backed-up traf¿c
on the river crossing and congestion along
the busy highway. Powerline Road was
extended away from the bridge and a new,
safer connection was installed. Another new
road segment in the guise of a third lane for
trucks was added to I-84’s westbound lanes
near Spring Creek Grade, about 15 miles west
of La Grande. The steep incline is a bottleneck
for traf¿c when snow and ice result in slow
moving commercial vehicles as they head
over the Blue Mountains.
All but a few of these projects are now
complete and travelers are reminded to
use TripCheck.com for current highway
conditions and possible traf¿c impacts.
“I’m proud of the work performed by
Frazer Ave., Pendleton pedestrian upgrades include rapid flash crosswalk beacons.
ODOT staff, our contractors and their crews,”
Sipp said. “We also have good relationships
with our many city, county and stakeholder
partners. More projects are scheduled next
year that will help move all users safely along
our vast transportation network.
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