December 5, 2022 3:30 a.m.

The Oregon Department of Transportation’s I-5 hazard tree project near Canyonville will finish ahead of schedule.

Dan Latham of ODOT said Brinks Brothers Inc. will complete its work three weeks early. Latham said no more traffic delays are expected.

The project, which removed hazard trees damaged by the Milepost 97 Complex Fire south of Canyonville in 2019, required daily rolling slowdowns between Tri City and Azalea. Latham said most delays were less than 20 minutes, but thousands of motorists were affected each day.

Brinks Brothers began cutting trees on November 1st and had been scheduled to continue work until the end of the year. However, they were able to remove all of the trees by the end of November.

Over the next week, the contractor will seed the slopes and install erosion control features. Motorists should watch for shoulder closures and construction vehicles through Friday.

The project removed an estimated 4,000 trees along the slopes near I-5 between Canyon Creek Pass and Canyonville. Latham said though many green trees were removed, their root systems and the slopes surrounding them may have been damaged or weakened by the wildfire, putting the trees at risk of falling or sliding into the roadway.