Starting June 12, the Oregon Department of Transportation will be chip sealing a 13-mile section of Oregon Highway 237 in Union County

Medford, OR – According to the ODOT officials, the work will run between milepost zero in Island City and milepost 12.83 near Cove.

A chip seal includes spreading rock chips onto emulsified oil, then pressing the rocks in with rollers.

Chip seals help protect and extend the life of the existing roadway.

The pavement project will take about a week to complete. Pavement striping will occur later.

Work at the OR 82/OR 237/McAlister Road intersection in Island City will take less than a day and is scheduled for June 15 or 16, depending on weather or equipment delays.

Crews will broom the chip seal after it is applied to remove loose rock, which may result in early morning and/or nighttime minor delays.

Motorists should expect some loose gravel on the roadway for several days after this operation and are advised to slow down to reduce the amount of flying rock. 

Travel Impacts

Travelers can expect the following impacts.

• Flaggers and pilot cars directing single lane traffic through work zones.
• Delays up to 20 minutes.
• Reduced speeds.
• Loose rock on the roadway.
• Minor delays during nighttime/early morning hours for road sweeping.

Plan extra travel time, stay behind pilot car, and watch for construction crews and equipment. 

Bicycle riders should be prepared for traveling on rock chip covered highway sections behind a pilot car with no usable shoulders.

If possible, use alternate routes or delay travel to avoid this work zones.