HP Civil Moves Ahead On Aurora-Donald Interchange
By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
First built in the 1960s, the Aurora-Donald interchange (Interstate 5, exit 278) in Oregon’s northern Willamette Valley between Salem and Portland has seen a significant rise in traffic volume.
According to David House, an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesman, approximately 32,000 vehicles pass through the interchange on Interstate 5 and Ehlen Road daily. Built for a much lower traffic volume, the interchange has been over capacity at peak times for many years. In addition to the volume of traffic, issues such as the proximity of roads and access points and reduced visibility cause congestion and safety concerns.
And now contractor HP Civil Inc. of Salem, Ore., is working on improvements.
JE Dunn’s OLCC Warehouse Construction Work Begins
OLCC members and other dignitaries turn ceremonial shovels of dirt at the warehouse groundbreaking on April 16, 2025.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) broke ground on April 16, 2025, on its new 347,000-sq.-ft. distilled spirits distribution center at 165 S. Walnut St. in Canby.
The milestone celebrates the beginning of construction for the agency’s new facility designed to modernize OLCC’s distribution system and better serve the needs of Oregonians. The OLCC oversees access to alcohol and cannabis products in Oregon through education, regulation and distilled spirits distribution.
At the groundbreaking event, members of industry joined OLCC along with local elected leaders to each take a ceremonial shovel and help turn the earth at the site.
The lead contractor for the project, JE Dunn Construction has already begun site mobilization, including clearing, leveling and installing construction fencing in preparation for full-scale construction, which was evidenced at the site. The contract calls for a guaranteed maximum price of $87.6 million.
“Our current warehouse operates at capacity, creating logistical challenges and risking revenue opportunities for the state,” said OLCC Executive Director Craig Prins. “This
A rendering of the new Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission distribution warehouse.
new facility, with its advanced material handling systems and expanded footprint, will allow us to better serve Oregon businesses and consumers efficiently and responsibly.’
The new warehouse will replace the current warehouse infrastructure in Milwaukie, which has been in operation since the 1950s. The new facility along the I-5 corridor will significantly expand capacity, streamline operations and improve efficiency for businesses and consumers across the state.
The building will include conveyors, pick modules and pallet racks and is designed with modular capabilities. That will enable future expansions and possibly doubling the existing capacity over the next two decades.
There will be 10 loading doors. With six doors offering instant conveyor functionality. There will be a 400-case load capability per dock door per hour and the capacity to ship 4.6 million cases annually.
“This new warehouse represents a long-overdue investment in Oregon’s distilled spirits distribution system,” said Dennis Doherty, commission chair. “It ensures we can meet growing consumer demand while maintaining our commitment to responsible alcohol regulation. With JE Dunn’s
expertise, we’re confident this facility will serve Oregonians well for decades to come.”
“Clackamas County is pleased that OLCC is keeping its distilled spirits distribution center here in the county,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas. “Not only will 65 jobs remain in the area, but there is the potential for growing the workforce right here in Canby.”
“Breaking ground on OLCC's new liquor warehouse and distribution facility is a tremendous milestone not only for our project team but also the community,” said Jeff Fisher, JE Dunn project executive. “OLCC provides many benefits to the state of Oregon beyond its core operations. This facility will only strengthen that impact. A lot of work has gone into getting to this point, and JE Dunn is proud to be part of a project that will bring lasting enhancements to the community. We look forward to continuing our partnership with OLCC and keeping the community engaged as the project progresses.”
In the coming weeks, JE Dunn will finish site preparation. Substantial completion of the warehouse is expected by June 2026, with the facility fully operational by August 2026.
(All photos courtesy of JE Dunn Construction.)
SH 75 Improvement Project Near Ketchum, Idaho, Debuts
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) began construction in late April 2025 on a $28.5 million project to improve safety and capacity on State Highway 75 between Elkhorn Road and River Street.
Construction is expected to be completed in late 2026.
Knife River Corp. — Mountain West is the project contractor.
SH 75 is the primary north-south highway in the Wood River Valley serving the cities of Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley in Blaine County. It varies from two to four lanes in the project area.
Improvements include:
• Widening SH 75 to five lanes between Elkhorn Road and Serenade Lane.
• Widening SH 75 to three lanes with 10ft. bike lanes and sidewalks between Serenade Lane and River Street.
• Widening the Trail Creek Bridge to three lanes with bike lanes and sidewalks.
• Upgrading the traffic signal at the SH 75/Elkhorn Road intersection.
• Installing a traffic signal at the SH 75/Serenade Lane intersection.
• Improving some local roads, including Serenade Lane and Elkhorn Road.
• Undergrounding power lines.
These changes have been developed to accommodate traffic projections for the next 20 years.
Crews began removing trees in select locations the week of April 28.
During construction, the speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph in the construction zone, with one lane remaining open in each direction between Elkhorn Road and River Street. Closures will occur on local roads, and detours will be in place. Traffic shifts
will occur on SH 75 and local roads.
Work is slated for Monday-Saturday between 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m. with the occasional exception on nights and weekends.
ITD spokesperson Courtney Wagner told mtexpress.com that crews were starting in the northbound lanes of SH 75 between Elkhorn Road and Serenade Lane.
She said the project was split into two years because of funding, as well as weather constraints.
“It is pretty standard for us to split costs between two years especially if the construction is going to take that two years anyway,” she wrote to the mtexpress.com. “Our planner looks at seven years out, so it was the efficient way to get the funding for the construction while allowing more in the budget for other projects to start as well.”
Department graphic
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Mass Timber Company Starts Work On $117M Facility
executives and area others participate in the Feb. 27, 2025, groundbreaking
Timberlab broke ground Feb. 27, 2025, on a 190,000-sq.-ft. cross-laminated timber manufacturing facility in Millersburg, Ore., according to statesmanjournal.com.
The facility is expected to produce 7-9 million sq. ft. of mass timber products annually.
The $117 million building will be built from the same mass timber that will eventually be produced there. Mass timber is an engineered product, with wood bound together to make it stronger, both for beams and walls, allowing it to be used for structural purposes, statesman-journal.com reported.
The facility was designed by LEVER Architecture and is being constructed by Swinerton Builders.
The project will create approximately 75 jobs with an average wage of $80,000. It is expected to open in 2026 and be Portland, Ore.-based Timberlab’s largest facility.
Gov. Tina Kotek said Oregon is making an impact in the mass timber market. That includes the roof at the Portland International Airport terminal, statesmanjournal.com reported.
“We have been leading the way in our country around mass timber,” Kotek said.
“To have this type of facility coming in is an amazing next step.”
Timberlab is a subsidiary of Swinerton Construction, a more than 100-year-old general contracting company focusing on commercial and large buildings. It has projects across the United States, according to statesmanjournal.com.
Swinerton launched Timberlab in 2021 so it could bring the manufacturing of wood for mass timber products in-house. It has mass timber production facilities in Portland and Greenville, South Carolina.
In 2024, the company bought the closed Interfor sawmill and planing mill in Philomath, Ore, statesmanjournal.com reported.
“We’re going to do the grand opening of this facility and we’re going to be going back to do the sawmill within six months of opening this,” Timberlab President Chris Evans said. “April 2027 is kind of the timeframe for Philomath.”
The site is next to a railroad, which will become “a vital resource for us to be able to ship stuff,” Evans said.
The facility will be called Independence Hall, a nod to Evans being from Pennsylvania and because Timberland also considered a former sawmill in Independence, according to statesmanjournal.com.
Timberlab wants Independence Hall to become a showpiece for mass timber uses.
Evans said the company considered using mass timber for office spaces before the pandemic. But as demand for office space dropped, Timberlab has looked into ways to get mass timber into other types of buildings, statesmanjournal.com reported.
Aside from Independence Hall, the Millersburg property has room for an 85,000-sq.-ft. fabrication and finishing building and another building of up to 126,000 sq. ft.
The growth of industrial development like Independence Hall is helping Millersburg’s finances, according to statesmanjournal.com.
“Our town’s only 3,500 folks,” Millersburg Mayor Scott Cowan said. “These kind of projects that come in really help balance so we don’t have to pay more taxes.”
Stabilization Begins On Landslide Project Along Oregon Coast
Work began in early April 2025 on the second phase of a project aimed at stabilizing a landslide area along U.S. Highway 101 on the southern Oregon coast.
In January 2023, the Arizona Landslide closed the highway approximately 12 mi. south of Port Orford for several days. Over the following year, contractors for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) installed a network of drains and pipes uphill from the highway.
The next construction phase will build a vertical shaft, measuring approximately 20 ft. in diameter and 200 ft. deep, which will serve as a large catch basin for the new drainage system.
Portland, Ore.-based contrac-
tor Condon-Johnson & Associates moved equipment to the work zone in early April and broke ground mid-month. Construction for the project’s second phase is estimated to cost $18.3 million; work is set to be completed by October 2026.
Most work will take place off the highway, but drivers should watch for workers along the shoulder and construction vehicles entering and exiting the travel lanes.
The landslide area, which is a half-mile north of the Arizona Beach Recreation Area, has been a problem since the highway opened in the 1920s. Large landslides closed the highway in 1938, 1954, 1978 and 1993, and smaller slides
have required frequent lane closures and emergency repairs.
In the mid-1990s, a series of drains, including drainage shafts, were installed in the hillside to remove water and reduce ground movement. Those drains became less effective over time, and the 2023 landslide sheared the vertical drainage shaft located on the downhill side of the highway.
U.S. 101 is a lifeline route for those along the southern Oregon coast. When the highway is closed at the Arizona Landslide, drivers traveling between Port Orford and Gold Beach must detour five hours and 280 mi. along Oregon 42, Interstate 5 and U.S. 199.
LEVER architecture rendering
A view of Independence Hall upon completion.
Timberlab photo
Timberlab
of Independence Hall.
LEVER architecture rendering
An interior view of Independence Hall.
Oregon Department of Transportation photo
In January 2023, the Arizona Landslide closed part of U.S. Highway 101 for several days. Contractor Condon-Johnson & Associates is replacing the damaged drainage system, which involves building a deep shaft west of the highway near the access (bottom left) that will serve as a giant catch basin.
Increasing Traffic Prompts Reworking of I-5 Interchange
INTERCHANGE from page 1
Budgeting for Two Phases
In 2017, the Oregon legislature appropriated approximately half the funds necessary to improve the situation. The first phase was designed in 2021, with construction taking place in 2022-2023, at a cost of $28.3 million. House Bill 2017 provided $25 million for Phase 1, with the other $3.3 million coming from state funds for the design phase.
Salem-based contractor K&E Excavating was the contractor on that part of the project.
The design weighed safety and traffic flow, considering both short- and long-term transportation needs. Eventually, the design turned into a concept that would minimize the footprint of a full interchange. Even with the smaller footprint, however, some private property had to be acquired for the project to proceed.
The final design is known as a diverging diamond interchange. It realigns some county roads and private property access.
Phase 1 began with tree removal to make room for a noise wall between the off-ramp and the Aurora Acres RV Park, according to ODOT spokesperson Lou Torres.
By the time this first phase was completed, crews had lengthened the northbound off-ramp to reduce backup onto the I-5 lanes. They also moved the Ehlen Road and Bents Road intersection further west and installed a traffic signal at that intersection. This allowed more intervals for people to turn from the off-ramps and more space for traffic to flow before passing the off-ramps.
Work Continues
“For Phase 2, we qualified for federal grants totaling about $59.5 million, with state funds covering the balance,” House said.
Design work for Phase 2 began in 2023. Construction started last year, with completion estimated by the end of 2027, at a cost of $62.5 million.
The design — a full diverging diamond interchange that has non-freeway cross traffic move to the opposite side of the road — will address capacity issues by building an interchange that is expected to work for years to come.
Phase 2 of the Aurora-Donald interchange project, which began in 2024, “replaces an exit setup with stop signs at the end of off-ramps with a diverging diamond interchange like the Phoenix interchange on I-5 in Medford,” House said.
Specific tasks under Phase 2 include:
• Replacing the I-5 bridges over Ehlen Road NE with one new bridge.
• Reconstructing the I-5 travel lanes to match the new I-5 bridge.
• Changing the section of Ehlen Road NE under the I-5 bridge to have two lanes of traffic in both directions and new accesses to the I-5 on and off-ramps.
• Lengthening and widening the southbound off-ramp, the southbound on-ramp and the northbound on-ramp — completely upgrading all freeway ramps.
• Relocating the Dolores Way and Ehlen Road NE intersection to the east.
• Adding traffic lights under the bridge.
According to Andrew Walker, previous ODOT project manager, construction is well under way at Ehlen Road. Crews are working nightly Sunday through Thursday, with occasional weekend work. Up to two lanes are closed each night, and single-lane closures are common during the day.
While the project is expected to be completed on time, Walker said drivers will notice major changes this year.
As House said, “This ODOT contract is structured similarly to other ODOT construction contracts. The primary incentive for the contractor is profit. The contractor is paid per item constructed and, therefore, is incentivized to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible. We do have liquidated damages (disincentives) if the contractor closes a traffic lane longer than is allowed and other similar situations.”
Standard equipment and materials are being used.
“The unique part of the project is how [it] will be constructed and what the final product will be: the diverging diamond,” said AJ Jacobson, the current project manager.
“This is a very small construction space on a very busy intersection with Interstate 5, two truck stops, businesses and a residential trailer park,” House said.
To keep traffic moving 24/7 on I-5 and minimize lane and ramp closures, this project requires an extra level of complexity and staging, from lengthening ramps in the first phase to bridge and ramp replacement in the second phase.
The bridge replacement stage under way also means moving crews, equipment and bridge components under existing bridges and close to highway traffic and doing the work in that tight, busy space. Jacobson said much of the concrete pavement and paving will be completed on mainline I-5
under full temporary barriers to provide safety to the workers and commuters on I-5.
ODOT expects the project to ultimately make a significant difference in safety and usability.
All the traffic now enters and exits the freeway on onelane ramps, with no signals to assist drivers trying to make nearly blind turns.
“There are two truck stops, so it is heavily used by commercial vehicles, but it is also used by residents and commuters,” House said.
During peak traffic hours, vehicles are often backed up the ramp and even onto I-5, waiting to make turns at the stop signs at the end of the off-ramps. This poses higher risks for crashes involving turns and sideswipes and rear-end crashes on the ramps and I-5.
In fact, according to the Statesman Journal, crashes are frequent, with at least 12 deaths occurring on roads going to and from the Aurora Donald Interchange in the first two years after the nearby Dundee Newberg Bypass was partially completed in 2018.
“With two truck stops and [being] an ideal location about halfway between Salem and Portland, as well as a hub for agriculture commerce, this is a busy interchange for commercial vehicles,” House said. “It simply does not operate like a busy interchange should.” CEG
(All photos courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation.)
Significant changes are in the works under Interstate 5.
Washington transportation leaders took a step to protect road construction workers and drivers as the first Work Zone Speed Camera enforcement began on April 16, 2025, near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The trailer-mounted camera photographs vehicles speeding through active work zones. The Washington State Department of Transportation will rotate the camera between construction, maintenance and emergency projects where speeding is an issue.
This safety tool aims to protect workers and the traveling public by encouraging drivers to follow work zone speed limits and reducing the number of speed-related crashes. The first site was selected because of ongoing safety concerns with people speeding through that Interstate 5 work zone.
Signs will notify drivers when the camera is at a job site and, when possible, a radar feedback sign will accompany the camera to remind drivers to slow down. The program will expand with two more cameras this spring and three more by summer.
EnforcementProgram,Details
The cameras will only record infractions when workers are present on a job site. Work
“Too many workers have been injured or killed, and statistics show drivers are not slowing down,” said Julie Meredith, the state’s secretary of transportation. “This provides another tool to help ensure workers — and everyone on the roadway — comes home safe at the end of the day.”
can take place day or night, so drivers should assume there are workers in all work zones, particularly if they are in the area where they see a sign notifying them about a camera ahead.
After the camera detects a speeding vehicle, information will be forwarded to the Washington State Patrol. The photos do not include images of drivers. Troopers will determine if a violation was committed and, if so, issue an infraction. The vehicle’s registered owner will receive the infraction in the mail and can contest it, ask for a reduction or request a payment plan.
When someone receives a notice of infraction, they will be directed to the program’s website to acknowledge the incident. There is no fine for the first work zone speed camera infraction; the second and every infraction after that is $248. The vehicle’s registered owner must respond to the notice of infraction online or through the mail, even if it carries no financial penalty. The infractions are recorded as non-moving violations and do not affect driving records or insurance. Unpaid fines will be added to vehicle registration renewals.
The state’s Office of Administrative Hearings will oversee any appeals for infractions.
Washington’s First Work Zone Speed Camera Launched
Legislative, Agency, Industry Partnerships
The cameras result from partnerships and support by the state legislature, several state agencies, law enforcement and union and industry groups. Legislation for the cameras took effect July 1, 2023, with an Amendment bill passed the following year.
The money received from fines will pay for the program’s costs and any extra money will support WSP DUI and safety programs. The program runs through 2030 unless extended by the legislature.
Proven Safety Tool
Through scanning light detection and ranging, called LiDAR, the camera detects vehicles traveling faster than the posted speed limit and takes images of the vehicle, its license plate and related information (e.g., speed limit, a vehicle’s recorded speed, location, date, time, etc.). Work zone speed camera vendor Elovate works with other states on similar programs, including Maryland and Indiana.
Since 2020, Washington has averaged 1,345 work zone crashes every year. Meredith said the goal of the safety program is to reduce speeding, not issue tickets.
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
A work zone speed camera
