Ashland’s Emergency I-5 on-ramp finished

ASHLAND, Ore. – Ashland’s new emergency evacuation ramp from Mountain Avenue to Interstate 5 is wrapping up construction.

The Oregon Department of Transportation says the on-ramp is finished and the gates will be installed soon.

ODOT says the need for an evacuation ramp became clear during the Almeda fire.

Ashland resident Marc Bayliss told us about his experience last year trying to evacuate during the fire.

“Once I reached north main, it was gridlocked, absolute and complete total gridlock with semi-trucks and traffic off of i-5,” said Bayliss.

Access to the on-ramp will be controlled by a locked gate that will only be open in case of emergencies.

Ashland has a breakdown of its ten evacuation zones and the best way for you to evacuate your home in case of emergency.

It’s available on the city’s website.

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