Expect brief delays this week for bridge work near Elkton, Feb. 19

ODOT release – ELKTON – Motorists traveling between Scottsburg and Sutherlin should expect intermittent lane closures and brief delays this week due to bridge work at three locations. Traffic will be limited to a single lane on Oregon 38 (Umpqua Highway) at Weatherly Creek (milepost 22.8) and Paradise Creek (milepost 28.3), and on Oregon 138W (Elkton-Sutherlin Highway) at the Umpqua River (Smith) Bridge (milepost 3.8). Traffic at each location will be controlled by an automated flagging system. Each system consists of a modified traffic signal with a crossing arm at each end of a work zone. During the signal’s red-phase, the arm will lower to block traffic in one direction. During the yellow-phase, the arm will lift, allowing traffic to pass through the work zone. There is no green phase. Similar “robot” flagging systems have been used for nearly a decade in eastern and central Oregon. They are designed to keep everyone, including flaggers, safe on the highway. ODOT has provided a video that explains the system. Motorists are advised to drive with caution through the work zone and watch for advance warning signs.