Construction begins at I-5 Harvard interchange next week, May 27

ODOT release – ROSEBURG – Road and sidewalk construction is scheduled to begin at the I-5 Harvard interchange after Memorial Day weekend. Starting Tuesday, May 28, motorists can expect nighttime lane closures on Harvard Avenue and Bellows Street until the end of summer. Nearby residents should expect nighttime noise consistent with road construction. Some sidewalks will be closed during construction. Pedestrians, including those with disabilities, will be provided routes through or around the work zone. The I-5 Harvard interchange was built in the 1950s and remodeled in the mid-1970s. The current project will bring the interchange up to 2019 standards, replacing the traffic signals on both sides of the freeway, realigning Bellows and the southbound ramps, adding turn lanes, constructing new ADA-compliant sidewalks and making other improvements. The project will require a two-week closure of Bellows Street and both southbound ramps this summer, probably in July. The ramps and Bellows Street will remain open during Graffiti Weekend (July 10-14) and the Douglas County Fair (August 4-10). ODOT will notify the community and local media of the exact closure dates as soon as a schedule becomes available. Prime contractor Knife River Materials is scheduled to complete all work on the $1.9 million project this October. Maps and other information can be found at the project website, www.Roseburg124.com.