If you plan on driving in Oregon this holiday weekend or this summer know that you could encounter delays because of road construction.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has 108 road projects happening this summer, making it one of the busiest construction seasons in recent years.

Some of the construction is due to the Oregon Transportation Investments Acts. The Oregon legislature passed a series of funding packages that raised $2.96 billion for highway and bridge construction work.

"Across the state, you'll see ODOT workers and Oregon contractors working hard to repair, replace and modernize vital highway corridors and highway bridges," said Matt Garrett, ODOT director. "Travelers on Interstate 5 alone will pass through 19 active work zones between Portland and Medford."

Garrett said that ODOT has "taken steps, wherever possible, to schedule work at night or during off-peak hours" and has coordinated projects so people can get to their destinations as smoothly as possible.

South along I-5, there are two projects near the Halsey/Brownsville exit, five projects between Eugene and Cottage Grove and another five near Roseburg.

Projects near the Clear Lake and Santiam junctions on Highway 20 could cause 20-minute delays. Two projects on Highway 20 between Corvallis and Newport may also cause 20-minute delays.

For information on current construction activity, go to www.tripcheck.com or call 511.

For a map of the 108 construction projects along with information on each project, including expected delays and expected completion dates, go to www.oregon.gov/odot/comm/2007constructionmap.shtml.

Democrat-Herald