UNION COUNTY — The Oregon Department of Transportation is starting several paving projects on sections of OR-82, OR-204 and OR-237 in June.

On June 16, workers started patching pavement on Wallowa Lake Highway (OR-82) between mileposts 45 and 49.5. Construction crews will be active through June 19, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Drivers can expect delays up to 20 minutes.

Starting June 21, crews will be paving the Weston-Elgin/Tollgate Highway (OR-204) between mileposts 40.25 and 20.8. Workers will be paving Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with an estimated completion date in early September, 2021. Drivers can expect up to 20 minute delays.

According to ODOT spokesperson Tom Strandberg, the work along Highway 204 will take several months because of flood damage in 2020. Between late July and early August, Morning Creek Sno-Park, Woodland Sno-Park and Andies Prairie Sno-Park will be closed due to chip sealing operations.

Work on the La Grande-Baker Highway (OR-237) will start on Tuesday, June 22, between mileposts 23 and 20, three miles southwest of Union. ODOT engineer Mike Remily said they will be resurfacing the road on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and expect to finish Wednesday evening. Delays are estimated to be as high as 20 minutes.

“Please slow down, pay extra attention as crews repair and resurface damaged pavement to extend the life of the roadway,” ODOT said in a press release. “The result will be safer, smoother highways for all travelers. ODOT and our contractor thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”

Strandberg encourages drivers to stay extra cautious and to use Tripcheck.com to find any construction delays on their route.

“There’s a lot of construction going on in Eastern Oregon right now, so if you see an orange vest or cones, slow down and pay attention,” he said.