January 13, 2023 3:40 a.m.

The Douglas County Public Works Department, working with the Board of Commissioners, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Roseburg School District are in the process of implementing a new traffic control change on Melrose Road adjacent to Melrose Elementary School, 5 miles west of Roseburg.

A County release said the new safety inspired traffic control change in the designated “Melrose Elementary School Zone”, includes additional overhead flashing lights, a regulatory speed limit reduction, new traffic control warning signs and the installation of electronic speed radar devices.

The new traffic control change is set to go into effect on Monday, January 23rd, in time for the first school bus drop off at 8:15 a.m.

The release said the most notable change to Melrose Road near the school will be a traffic speed reduction during designated times from the current cautionary 45 miles per hour when the overhead lights flash, to a 20 mile per hour regulatory school zone when the lights flash. In addition, electronic speed radar devices will be installed and will read the vehicle speed and display it back to the vehicle operator as they pass through the area.

The traffic speed reduction school zone will be in effect weekday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Weekday afternoons it will be in effect from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. except on Wednesdays when it will go from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Outside of these times, the posted speed will be 45 miles per hour. The speed radar device will read back the vehicle speed from 40 miles per hour to 55 miles hour. It will flash a warning for drivers going in excess of 55 miles per hour.

For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 440-4481.