Weight restrictions coming to the Kamela Interchange over I-84
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, February 13th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that a new vehicle weight restriction is now in place for the overpass bridge at Mt. Emily Road over I-84 (aka the Kamela interchange) at exit 243 between Pendleton and La Grande. All vehicles over the new allowed weight will need to use an alternate route or take a detour. The weight restrictions, as published by ODOT, are in the table below:
(Release from the Oregon Department of Transportation)
| Vehicle type | Vehicle type description | New max allowed weight |
| Type 3 | 3-axle single-unit truck (dump truck, concrete mixer, fire engine, no trailer) | 19 tons |
| Type 3S2 | 3-axle truck tractor pulling a 2-axle semi-trailer (standard 5-axle semi / 18-wheeler | 25 tons |
| Type 3-3 | 3-axle truck pulling a 3-axle trailer (heavy straight truck with full trailer | 22 tons |
| SU4 | 4-axle single-unit truck (heavy dump or service truck) | 19 tons |
| SU5 | 5-axle single-unit truck (very heavy straight truck) | 19 tons |
| SU6 | 6-axle single-unit truck (specialty or construction truck) | 20 tons |
| SU7 | 7-axle single-unit truck (rare, specialty industrial truck) | 20 tons |
| Emergency vehicles (2-3 axles) | Fire engines, rescue vehicles, ambulances | 22 tons |
Why is the bridge being weight restricted? Built in 1957, this steel and concrete bridge wasn’t made for the large vehicles of today, and is showing wear and tear. The ledges that support the steel bridge span are not passing the load rating analysis. We need to strengthen these ledges before we can lift the load restrictions. Will the restriction be permanent? No. This is a temporary restriction. Work to strengthen the bridge is planned for later this spring when weather conditions improve. The bridge restriction will remain in place only until the necessary repairs are complete. Is my vehicle under the weight limit? The illustrations above show some common vehicles and their average weights. To make the math easier: 1 ton = 2,000 pounds. You can learn more about these types of vehicles in this additional information. Is the bridge still safe to use? The bridge is safe to use as long as vehicles crossing the bridge are under the posted weight limits. Bridge weight restrictions are required when an engineering review shows that the structure cannot safely carry standard legal vehicle loads. What is a standard legal vehicle load? A standard legal vehicle is any vehicle at or below 40 tons with no single axle over 10 tons and no tandem axle over 17 tons. |
