January 16, 2024 3:40 a.m. 

Crews with the Oregon Department of Transportation are continuing to work around the clock to keep highways open and reopen those closed by ice and downed trees and power lines across Oregon.

An ODOT release said with unusually cold temperatures and another round of freezing rain expected Tuesday, travel will continue to be challenging.

A major factor in a slowdown on Interstate 5 is vehicles not chaining up or stopping to chain up in the travel lanes. Law enforcement has begun to cite violators of the chain law. Alternate routes are not viable because they are less maintained in winter weather and are also impacted by the ice storm.

Those who cannot reschedule a trip for later in the week, should bring chains and be prepared to put them on their vehicle. Be prepared for lengthy delays due to severe ice and traffic coming to a standstill for long periods of time. Towns south of Eugene may have power failures and fuel stations could run out of fuel – or even places to park.

Statewide, crews are plowing 24/7 and using deicer by the hundreds of thousands of gallons, as well as sanding packed ice and snow on the roads. However the amount of ice and extremely low temperatures limit the effectiveness of these tools – especially for vehicles without chains.

Check current road conditions at: www.tripcheck.com