© 2024 KLCC

KLCC
136 W 8th Ave
Eugene OR 97401
541-463-6000
klcc@klcc.org

Contact Us

FCC Applications
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Major roadwork will be paused during track championships

Karen Richards
/
KLCC
Major road construction projects will be put on hold during Oregon22 in July. File photo.

Major road construction projects in Oregon will be put on hold for about three weeks next month. That’s because of the influx of visitors expected for the World Track Championships in Eugene in mid-July.

ODOT’s Cooper Brown told state lawmakers Wednesday that the temporary pause is meant to keep traffic moving as much as possible.

“We’ve been able to plan ahead because we knew this event was coming," he said. "So we’ve been able to stagger our work. And we will be able to keep most of our projects on their original timeline, so minimal implications in terms of actually getting these projects delivered. But they will be on pause across our major corridors across the state.”

Because of limited hotel availability, many spectators will commute from outlying cities into Eugene each day during the event.

ODOT is adding additional bus service between Portland and Eugene. Buses make stops in several cities along the way, including Salem and Albany, eventually dropping passengers off across the street from Hayward Field.

No additional passenger train service is planned beyond the current twice-daily Cascades trains and once-daily Coast Starlight, both of which make stops in Eugene and Portland.

Brown said shuttle options will be available from the Eugene Airport, which is not currently served by public transit.

This will be the first time the world championships are held in the United States, and Eugene is the smallest city ever to serve as host.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
Related Content