ODOT starts lighting project on I-84 east of Pendleton

ODOT began adding lights to westbound Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, a stretch the agency says needs better visibility when fog, snow and darkness make the highway harder to read. The work targets two trouble spots, Cabbage Hill and Ladd Canyon, where truck and passenger crashes have long been a concern on one of Eastern Oregon’s most important freight and commuter routes.

Travelers should expect daytime lane and shoulder closures as crews move through the project. ODOT said the work would start with traffic control and then shift to westbound construction on Cabbage Hill, with the project running through the busy travel season that carries Pendleton-bound commuters, commercial haulers and drivers headed between Union County and the rest of the state.

The project uses existing foundations rather than building a brand-new corridor from the ground up. On Cabbage Hill, at mileposts 220 to 223 in Umatilla County, ODOT plans to install up to 11 light poles. In Ladd Canyon, at mileposts 270.5 to 272 in Union County, the agency plans up to 40 poles on both the eastbound and westbound lanes, a sign that the lighting upgrade is aimed directly at the steep canyon section many local drivers already know well.

ODOT said earlier projects had already put infrastructure in place for more lighting, but funding delays left the job unfinished until now. The estimated cost is $1 million, the contractor is Northstar Electrical Contractors of Sherwood, and the work is expected to be completed by September. For Union County residents who rely on I-84 for work, shopping, school trips or freight movement, the payoff is straightforward: fewer dark stretches, better visibility and a safer run through Ladd Canyon.