Multiple winter crashes force I-84 closures and truck bans in eastern Oregon

Truck stops and highway shoulders in La Grande and Baker City were packed with stranded truck traffic after multiple winter-weather crashes on Interstate 84 forced lane closures and truck restrictions on the evening of Feb. 17. TripCheck and ODOT updates showed rolling closures that left motorists and commercial drivers unable to move through east-central Oregon for hours.

TripCheck posted a 5:15 PM ODOT update saying, “Westbound I-84 is closed between Baker City and La Grande due to multiple spun out and stuck vehicles. Expect extended delays. Local highways are not viable interstate detours. Check chain conditions on Tripcheck.com before traveling and plan accordingly.” Ten minutes later TripCheck added, “I-84 Westbound is now closed to trucks between Ontario and La Grande. All other restrictions remain in place.”

TripCheck’s westbound Key Facts page specified the affected exits, noting, “Interstate 84 WESTBOUND is closed between Exit 216 (six miles east of Pendleton) and La Grande Exit 265,” and warned that the stretch “between Ontario at Exit 374 and La Grande at Exit 265 is open to passenger vehicles only (no commercial trucks).” The TripCheck guidance also urged travelers to verify motel availability in La Grande because “during extended closures lodging may be booked full.”

By 9:10 PM Elkhorn Media Group posted an ODOT update expanding the impact to eastbound traffic: “Eastbound I-84 is closed between Pendleton and Baker City (milepost 216-304) due to multiple spun-out and stuck vehicles blocking the interstate. Winter weather is prompting chain conditions throughout the corridor. Use Tripcheck.com for chain requirement locations and information and plan accordingly. Local highways are not viable detour routes for interstate traffic. Expect eastbound closure to last well into the night. Westbound I-84 has reopened between Baker City and La Grande.”

Local reporting and KATU’s Storm Tracker described the conditions behind the closures. KATU wrote that “multiple crashes on Interstate 84 because of winter weather has forced the closure of the eastbound lanes of the freeway between Pendleton and Baker City” and flagged a Storm Tracker Weather Alert with “a chance of accumulating snow down to 500 feet,” a factor that contributed to the spun-out and stuck vehicles ODOT cited.

TripCheck also documented the operational strain on La Grande and Baker City: “Because the Westbound freeway closure has continued for several hours (extended closure) truck traffic stranded in La Grande and Baker City have filled the truck stops and adjacent highway shoulders. Due to limited truck parking space there is no more room for trucks to safely park in these communities.” TripCheck reiterated that US-30 “is open to local traffic only and is NOT a valid bypass for highway traffic.”

Overnight updates into Feb. 18 widened the closures. Elkhorn Media Group’s 4:32 AM update said, “Interstate 84 closure update: Pendleton to La Grande: Closed both directions; Baker City to La Grande: Westbound lanes closed; Ontario to Baker City: Westbound lanes closed to trucks. Also North Powder School District will be on a 2-hour delay today.” Social observers amplified the local impacts: an Elkhorn Media Group post showing ODOT updates drew “All reactions: 210, 64 comments, 100 shares,” and reader Sergio Diez commented, “I’m looking at the cameras. It’s just between Ladd Canyon and North Powder that is a big mess. The rest is fine.”

ODOT’s TripCheck remains the primary live source for chain requirements, current closures, and traveler advisories; TripCheck’s map legend cautions that the map “is for identifying passenger vehicle access information ONLY for the WESTBOUND Freeway between Exit 374 and Exit 216” and “does NOT show current highway closures or incidences.” Officials have not released crash counts or injury reports in the available updates; anyone planning travel through Exit 216, Exit 265, Exit 302 (Baker City) or Exit 374 (Ontario) should check TripCheck for the latest status before proceeding.