Portion of Morgan Lake Road is being widened to make it safer

DICK MASON, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
Updated ·2 min read
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LA GRANDE — People often drive up to the Morgan Lake area to enjoy the stunning views it offers.

Soon the road people take to reach the lake, 2 miles southwest of La Grande, will offer improved views that, while not breathtaking, may prove to be life saving.

Blind corners on a stretch of Morgan Lake Road, running from Skyline to Marvin roads, are being improved as part of a $1.8 million Morgan Lake Road Safety Project. This is being accomplished by excavating into portions of the north side of the roadway on this stretch, according to Oregon Department of Transportation Eastern Oregon Community Affairs Specialist Vicki Moles.

“There are a couple of places which are steep and are difficult to see around. This work will make it much easier to see around them,” she said.

The Morgan Lake Road Safety Project started in April and is scheduled to be complete by mid-June, according to an ODOT press release.

Morgan Lake Road will remain open to all traffic during the work but motorists should expect delays of up to 20 minutes between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The federally funded project is being operated via the All Roads Transportation Safety Program, according to Union County Public Works Director Doug Wright.

This segment of roadway experienced three off-road crashes during a recent study period. These crashes included one fatality. Other crashes have occurred that involved single cars sliding off the road during winter months that are not reported.

Much of the approximately 1,500-yard roadway is also being expanded to make it easier for vehicles to stay on it, according to information on ODOT’s website. The roadway’s width ranges from 18 feet to 26 feet.

Improved guardrails

Work also being done as part of the project includes the replacement of much of the roadway’s south-side guardrail and installing guardrail where there is none, Moles said. Guardrail is only needed on the south side of Morgan Lake Road because the north edge of the road is adjacent to a steep uphill slope.

Crews are also striving to improve drainage on the roadway. Moles said improving drainage will boost safety by preventing the creation of puddles that can freeze during the winter.

“It will reduce the building of ice,” she said.

Once the Morgan Lake Road Safety Project is completed, vegetation will be planted in areas that have been disturbed during the construction, helping to stabilize the soil, Moles said.