Klamath Falls News - Locally owned news brand, reporting stories affecting citizens of the Klamath Basin.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - An amazing transformation is taking place on a 40 acre parcel of fallow land on the shores of Klamath Lake. This land, the ancestral home of the Klamath and Modoc people, is coming back to life thanks to a partnership that includes the Klamath Tribes, the Oregon Department of Transportation and contractors.
Read MoreSALEM, Ore. - The second of four planned increases in the gas tax goes into effect January 1, 2020. The increase is part of House Bill 2017, the “Keep Oregon Moving” legislation passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2017.
Read MoreSalem, Ore - Every year flaggers and other highway workers are injured and killed on highways in Oregon and across the nation. The Oregon Department of Transportation has begun deploying new flagging technology—auto flaggers -- that takes work zone flaggers out of the line of traffic making them safer.
Read MoreSALEM – The next time you renew your Oregon driver license or identification card you may see a new design with new security features. DMV is rolling out a new card design starting this winter and early 2019.
Read MoreSomething is killing first responders at staggering rates, and the answer is us.
Every year, drivers are injuring and killing hundreds of emergency responders as they work to save lives at the scene of traffic incidents:
Read MoreThe Oregon Department of Transportation will be working on the following projects in Klamath County for the week of May 21, 2018: US 97 Link River Bridge, OR 140 Buck Creek Bridge, OR 240 Greensprings Interchange, US 97 Algoma to Miller Island.
Read MoreSalem, Ore. – Buckling up correctly – every trip, every time – can make a world of difference. In fact, it can save your life. To that end, law enforcement across Oregon will be reminding motorists and their passengers about Oregon laws during a campaign that focuses on using the right safety restraints, including for those subject to Oregon’s newest occupant protection law:
Read MoreThe new year started out with some major news for PrePass customers. Under an agreement reached between the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and HELP Inc., PrePass carriers that operate in Oregon can now allow their transponders to be enrolled in and utilize Oregon’s Green Light weigh station bypass system at 21 facilities throughout Oregon. HELP Inc., the non-profit provider of PrePass, and the ODOT Motor Carrier Transportation Division (MCTD), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 15, 2017.
Read MoreODOT’s 2017 Bridge Condition Report (PDF) shows that, thanks to transportation investments over the past 16 years, the 2,742 bridges on the state highway system are in pretty good shape when judged by federal and state performance measures. Fewer than a quarter of ODOT’s bridges are rated as distressed, meaning they have structural or other deficiencies that limit their function or require attention (note: any bridges deemed unsafe for travel are closed immediately).
Read Moren addition to passing a major transportation funding package, the 2017 Oregon Legislature passed a handful of other laws that will affect drivers and vehicle owners. Most will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.
Read MoreAt the Oregon Department of Transportation, we prepare for winter weather year round.
Even before the last of the snow melts our crews are reviewing lessons learned, adjusting plans for the next season, making repairs to heavy equipment and working on improvements to TripCheck.com, our 24/7 road condition and travel information website.
Read MoreSALEM, Ore.—Several times already this year, an OSP trooper has arrived at the scene of a vehicle collision with a deer or elk and the driver has asked if the animal can be salvaged and taken home. ODFW offices are also getting such requests.
The answer is no, not yet. New rules allowing drivers to lawfully salvage roadstruck deer and elk don’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2019.
Calls and questions about the new roadkill law are increasing because wildlife-vehicle collisions peak this time of year. According to ODOT statistics, there were 1,160 such collisions in November of last year and 1,052 in October, compared to just 377 in December 2016.
Read MoreSALEM - The Governor’s Advisory Committee on Motorcycle Safety will meet at 4 p.m., October 19 at ODOT’s Technical Leadership Center, 4040 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE, Alsea Conference Room in Salem. The agenda includes a presentation on the Federal Highway Administration's Motorcycle Crash Causation Study and Motorcycle Safety Foundation's 100-Rider Study, reports from liaison organizations, strategic plan discussion and more. Information about the committee is available online.
Read MoreThe Oregon Department of Transportation is preparing to abandon an attempt to build an overpass on U.S. Highway 97 in La Pine, after having spent $12.4 million of the $17 million allocated for the project.
The Wickiup Junction project would have rerouted the highway to the east and over the BNSF Railway line, eliminating the last remaining at-grade rail crossing along U.S. Highway 97 between Washington and California. Instead, rapidly sinking soils have led project managers to conclude the overpass cannot be completed safely, and should be scrapped.
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