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Work On I-5 Resumes Sunday After A Week Long Delay

ODOT/Tripcheck.com

Work will resume Sunday (4/27) on Interstate Five between Ashland and Medford after the threat of rain forced contractors working for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to postpone the work.

Fern Valley Interchange work calls for the installation of a large drain pipe under the freeway about a half a mile north of the Phoenix exit; construction will reduce traffic to a single lane in each direction.  Traffic back-ups of two miles or more were forecast.

But when the weather forecast for the week showed rain, contractors opted to wait for drier weather. 

The lane closures require new paint stripes on the freeway, and the striping will not stick to wet pavement.

ODOT says the contractor will decide when to begin the lane closures, and the public will be informed.

During the lane closures, ODOT urges travelers to seek alternate routes to avoid the freeway.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.