ASHLAND, Oregon — A stretch of Interstate 5 over the Siskiyou Summit in southern Oregon has reopened after it was closed Wednesday morning amid a Winter Storm Warning and what the agency describes as "extreme winter weather conditions" in Northern California.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said even though the northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway are open again about two miles south of Ashland and continuing through to the Oregon-California border, winter conditions are still happening and drivers should be prepared to slow down and should try to detour on secondary roads.
"While the freeway is open, travel may still be difficult with changing weather conditions," ODOT said. "If you choose to travel, be prepared for chain restrictions and watch for snowplows and workers in the area."
ODOT said drivers should carry emergency supplies and check the weather forecast and TripCheck before traveling.
A Winter Storm Warning for much of the area between Ashland and Redding, California ended Wednesday afternoon.
The California Department of Transportation's QuickMap and District 2 social media pages described extensive I-5 closures in the area around Mt. Shasta on Wednesday; by Wednesday night, many of those posts said vehicles with chains could now proceed on the freeway and the map didn't show any closures Thursday morning.
On Wednesday morning, ODOT traffic cameras north of the closure showed dozens of semi trucks lined up along the southbound freeway shoulder. Amtrak announced Tuesday afternoon that it was preemptively canceling all Wednesday service on its Coast Starlight trains in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
As of Thursday morning, most trains are back online. Amtrak said train service between Seattle and Spokane and another between Portland and Spokane remain canceled in an announcement.
State Route 66 toward Klamath Falls also remains fully closed, starting about six miles east of Ashland, due to the weather conditions, as of Thursday morning. State Route 273 is closed south of Ashland nearly to the Oregon-California border. The Mount Ashland ski road to the California border is also closed.
For the latest updates on road closures across Oregon, visit TripCheck.com.
