Wildfires affecting I-5, Hwy. 97 traffic at Calif. border, Hwy. 197 reopens south of Columbia River

(Update: Hwy. 197 south of Columbia River

ASHLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Wildfire-caused highway closures, road construction and early holiday travelers are slowing Interstate 5 travelers on both sides of the Southern Oregon and Northern California border, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported Thursday.

U.S. Highway 97 remains closed at the border due to two Northern California wildfires near Weed. Traffic is also affected north of Redding by the Salt Fire. Caltrans closed the interstate north of Redding earlier Thursday for a short time, impacting travel in the corridor. Caltrans officials are monitoring the fire for other possible interstate delays. 

Traffic that normally uses U.S. 97 is adding to the amount of traffic using Interstate 5. South of Ashland, a construction project is limiting traffic to a single lane in each direction at several locations. Additional lanes cannot be accommodated due to the bridge work.

Interstate 5 users should review travel times and plan for delays and congestion or consider alternate routes to get to their destinations.

At the other end of the state, U.S. Highway 197 was closed Thursday afternoon south of the Columbia River, from milepost 1-10, due to a new wildfire near The Dalles, the Valley View Fire, which prompted evacuation orders. ODOT advised using an alternate route, but the highway reopened early Thursday evening, with a pilot car guiding traffic.

Follow traffic updates at our ODOT TripCheck page.