The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will issue permits for individuals interested in chaining up commercial vehicles during the winter months along specific sections of Interstate 84 in Eastern Oregon.
This year the ODOT District 12 office in Pendleton will issue about a half-dozen permits (depending on number of qualifying applicants) for I-84 in the Umatilla County area, primarily between La Grande and Pendleton; the District 13 office in La Grande will issue six permits for the I-84 Ladd Canyon area in Union County; and the District 14 office in Ontario will issue two permits for I-84 west of Ontario in Malheur County.
Interested parties need to contact the appropriate ODOT district office (see contact information below) between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31 for details and application requirements. Random drawings held Nov. 1 at each ODOT office will determine who will be offered the ODOT permits.
In addition to the permits issued by ODOT, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will also issue some permits for the Umatilla County area to Tribal members.
“Throughout the month of October, the ODOT District 12, 13 and 14 offices will collect names and addresses of those interested in obtaining a permit to assist truck drivers in chaining their vehicles for winter driving conditions,” said ODOT Permit Specialists Tom Lapp. “After the drawing, those individuals selected will have one week to complete the permit application and return it to the district office.”
Only persons who have the chain-up permits will be allowed to provide this service to truck drivers in designated chain-up areas. The permits will be valid between Nov. 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021.
“This is a safety issue,” Lapp said. “Limiting the permits for each district is necessary to help control the number of people working along state highways during winter weather conditions.”
For more information, interested parties should contact the appropriate ODOT office as follows:
- ODOT District 12 Office, Pendleton: Contact: Tom Lapp – phone: 541-278-3450
- ODOT District 13 Office, La Grande: Contact: Lynn Elliott – phone: 541-963-8407
- ODOT District 14 Office, Ontario: Contact: John Eden – phone: 541-823-4016
Information regarding chain-up helper permits issued by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is available from Damon McKay, John Barkley, or Michelle Bratlie at 541-429-7193.
