May 27, 2021 9:30 a.m.

Staff with the Oregon Department of Transportation is seeking public comments about seven proposed construction projects that aim to reduce congestion and improve safety on Interstate Five through Roseburg.

A release said ODOT and contractor Kittleson & Associates, identified the projects through a study that began in 2018. That study looked at the bottlenecks on the freeway between exit 119 and exit 129. That ten-mile section between the Oregon 42 junction and the Del Rio interchange has seen a high rate of crashes in recent years.

The release said traffic analysis models predict the situation will get worse if nothing in done.

ODOT Senior Project Manager Thomas Guevara Junior said that realistically all seven projects will need to be completed to meet future traffic demand and to keep people safe. Guevara said the next step is to review public input and secure federal and state funding for these improvement projects so they can be folded into longer term project planning.

Proposed projects include:

*Widen Interstate Five southbound via an auxiliary lane between the Garden Valley and Harvard Avenue exits

*Install ramp meters at Exit 125

*install ramp meters at Exit 124

*Reconstruct the Exit 125 southbound on-ramp to improve traffic flow

*Reconstruct the Exit 121 southbound off-ramp to improve traffic flow

*Lengthen the Exit 119 southbound off-ramp

Widen road shoulders at several locations

Visit the project webpage for details on each project, including maps: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=31929

Public comments will be accepted through June 26th.