About
Increasing safety on Interstate 5 in southwest Oregon and reducing the number of wrong way driver incidents and crashes.
Location
I-5
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Interstate 5 interchanges from the California border to MP 163.
Cost and Funding
~$2.5 million
Benefits
The goal of this project is to increase safety on the interstate and at southwest Oregon off ramps.
By increasing signing and other features, confused drivers will hopefully recognize they are going the wrong way before a crash occurs.
The measures will reduce the burden on public resources such as law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services.
Fewer wrong-way drivers will reduce delays on the interstate to the traveling public and reduce ODOT's costs for clearing wreckage and repairing damaged pavement, guardrails and fencing.
Most importantly, these measures will save lives.
What Problem Will This Improve?
Interstate 5 in southwest Oregon has a higher than normal crash rate due to wrong way drivers. This project is designed to increase driver awareness through different counter measures.
Wrong way driver incidents occur disproportionately in southwest Oregon and I-5. Between 2015-2018, 19 people died from wrong way driver crashes (about 5 per year). That is a 164% increase from the two deaths annually from 2010-2014, according to ODOT Traffic.
In general, about 500 people die in the U.S. each year in wrong way driver crashes — and that number is increasing.