Kimberly Dinwiddie of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Community Affairs described the Hwy. 26 construction project as on “cruise
control,” with everything going as planned despite an increase in traffic since
Memorial Day weekend.

Traffic is expected to be heavy for the Fourth of July weekend, but work in the
construction zone, where they are expanding the highway and adding a 1.6-
mile concrete median barrier to prevent crossover accidents, will be
suspended by Friday, July 3 to help with holiday congestion. Work is expected
to resume on the afternoon of Monday, July 6.

Dinwiddie also noted that ODOT and K&E Excavating, the project’s contractor,
met in late June to help ease traffic issues in the work zone. She noted delays
were no longer than 20 minutes (during non-blast times), but the two are
considering suspending 24-hour flagging along Map Curve from early July until
after Labor Day.

“We don’t like being at that 20 minute mark, we want to get people through
the construction faster,” Dinwiddie said.

Dinwiddie noted even if the 24-hour flagging stops, travelers can expect some
flagging to take place, as needed, and that blasting will be taking place
throughout the remainder of the construction season. Blasting is expected to
take place between 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in
July and August, and between 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays in September and October before the project breaks for winter.
Dinwiddie reported the contractor has found many drivers to wave and smile
as they pass through the construction zone, but there have also been a couple
of minor “fender benders.” She stressed that drivers should focus on driving
and limit distractions.

“Just because the work is cool to look at, you really need to be paying
attention to the road,” she said.

One dump site up Lolo Pass Road has been filled and contoured, while a
second is being intermittently used for fill appropriate for the site. The second
site is expected to be filled this summer, and repair work on Lolo Pass Road is
expected to take place in early July.