Freeway closure I-84 westbound
By Shannon McKone on Thursday, February 10th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON –
Update as of 7:53pm I-84 westbound remains closed at Baker City Exit 302 (to all traffic) and at Ontario Exit 374 (for trucks) due to hazardous material truck that crashed near milepost 219 (10 miles east of Pendleton) earlier today. Hazmat crews are still waiting for tanker truck to transfer material out of truck that crashed. OR 204, OR 245 and section of U.S. 30 near Haines are restricted to local traffic only. Depending on when hazardous chemical can be transferred away from crash site, the westbound closure could continue through the night. Please avoid following GPS navigation direction that typically lead to unserviced routes. Many travelers become stranded on remote forest roads when following GPS direction. Stay in town, stay safe and wait for westbound freeway to open. Updates will be shared when more information is available.
Update from ODOT as of 4:20pm I-84 westbound is now closed at Baker City Exit 302 (all traffic) and Ontario Exit 374 (for trucks) due to backed up traffic on detour route (backed up several miles on I-84 at La Grande and OR 82 near Elgin).
Hazmat crews are still waiting for tanker truck to transfer hazmat material out of truck that crashed near milepost 219. OR 204, OR 245 and section of U.S. 30 near Haines are once again restricted to local traffic only. Depending on when hazardous chemical can be transferred away from crash site, the westbound closure could continue through the night. There are no viable local detours, so please avoid following GPS navigation direction that typically lead to unserviced routes. Many travelers become stranded on remote forest roads when following GPS direction. Stay in town, stay safe and wait for westbound freeway to open
(Update from ODOT as of 12:33pm) I-84 westbound will remain closed at Exit 265 in La Grande until late this evening due to hazardous material spill near milepost 219, (10 miles east of Pendleton). ODOT has established the following signed detour route to get westbound traffic moving and reconnected to I-84 near Pendleton. OVERSIZED LOADS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THIS DETOUR ROUTE.
****NOTE: Correction for Detour Directions… At OR 204 / OR 11 interchange follow directions towards Pendleton (turn right just prior to OR 11 underpass, then turn left (west) at top of ramp onto OR 11.)
WESTBOUND DETOUR ROUTE: Exit westbound freeway at Exit 265 in La Grande, then turn right (east) on OR 203 towards the La Grande airport. Turn left on Pierce Road (airport) and head north for about five miles to OR Hwy. 82 (Wallowa Lake Highway). Turn right onto OR 82 and travel 15 miles to Elgin. In Elgin turn left (northwest) on OR 204 (Tollgate Hwy.). Remain on OR 204 for approx. 40 mile to connect to OR 11. At OR 204 / OR 11 interchange follow directions towards Pendleton (turn right just prior to OR 11 underpass, then turn left (west) at top of ramp onto OR 11. Stay on OR 11 for 16 miles, then turn left onto OR 331 towards Mission/Wildhorse Resort and I-84 Exit 216. Reconnect to I-84 westbound at Exit 216 (near Wildhorse Resort).
DRIVE SLOW, USE EXTREME CAUTION AND AVOID PASSING ON DETOUR ROUTES. BE KIND SO EVERYONE GETS HOME SAFE.
Conditions can change rapidly.
(Update from ODOT as of 8:30am) ODOT: East. Ore.: I-84 westbound is now closed at Exit 302 in Baker City due to a crash and hazardous material spill near milepost 219 (nine miles east of Pendleton). This closure is expected to last several hours. Westbound trucks are required to exit the freeway in Ontario at Exit 374 due to limited truck parking in Baker City. U.S. 30 is closed westbound to through traffic at Haines. OR 245 is closed to through traffic. OR204 (Tollgate Hwy) is closed westbound between Elgin and Weston. Only local freight and passenger vehicles allowed on OR 204, no I-84 access for commercial motor vehicles. The U.S. 30, OR 245 and OR 204 closures are in place as they are not viable alternate routes for freeway traffic. The eastbound lanes of I-84 are open at this time. Condition can change rapidly.
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Statement from ODOT Re: Road Closure:ODOT: East. Ore.: I-84 westbound is closed in La Grande at Exit 265 due to crash and hazardous material spill at milepost 219 (nine miles east of Pendleton). There are no viable alternate routes for freeway traffic. Please find a safe place to wait till the route opens. The eastbound lanes are open at this time. Continue to check TripCheck.com or call 511 / 800-977-6368 for update conditions. Outside Oregon call 503-588-2941. More Info Here
