PHOENIX OREGON RISES FROM THE ASHES HICK TOWN TO METROPOLIS
A temporary Interstate 5 southbound off-ramp will open early Tuesday, July 1 at the Phoenix exit 24. The existing off-ramp will close to facilitiate construction work. This is the next major traffic change related to the $72 million Fern Valley Interchange project.
The Fern Valley Interchange project runs through September 2016. When complete, exit 24 will feature Oregon’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange, which uses a narrower footprint to move traffic safely and efficiently while saving right of way costs.
Southbound I-5 motorists using exit 24 will see a 20 MPH speed sign due to a shorter deceleration lane and off-ramp. Rumble strips will be added to the off-ramp to alert motorists.
“This won’t be business as usual,” said ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher. “Both temporary southbound ramps will be controlled by a traffic signal in the southwest interchange quadrant. In addition, a new, temporary roadway will open west of the I-5 bridge.”
