The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced it will be installing various traffic management devices to improve safety and traffic control on Interstate 84 Exit 216 east of Pendleton.
To share information and answer your questions about the upcoming project, ODOT is holding an in-person open house on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Wildhorse Resort, McKay Room, located at 46510 Wildhorse Blvd, Pendleton.
ODOT and Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) planning staff will be available to discuss project elements and answer your questions. There will be no formal presentation and the public is invited to stop by anytime during the open house.
Exit 216 is the last exit before the highway becomes more remote and dangerous; therefore, it is a common location for closures. Existing signage and closure gates are inadequate in this area. ODOT employees often have to walk amongst traffic to deploy them during interstate closures, which most often occur during inclement weather and darkness.
Closure gates and signs will notify travelers in advance of a closure and safely direct traffic to available parking. A chain-up inspection area at emergency Exit 217 will reroute traffic to Thompson Road. Project design goes through 2022, with construction scheduled for 2023 and 2024.
More information can be found at the project webpage.
