Westbound traffic will be closed on two Grants Pass streets Thursday, October 1, as paving crews work on M Street downtown and Northwest Morgan Lane. Both closures begin at 8 a.m., with work on M Street scheduled through 11 a.m. and the Morgan Lane closure continuing until 1 p.m.
The M Street closure covers the block between Seventh and Eighth streets. During the three-hour work period, motorists traveling west will need to follow the posted detour or take another route around the affected block. A flagger will be on site to direct traffic while paving takes place.
On Northwest Morgan Lane, the westbound closure extends from Northwest Hawthorne Avenue to Northwest Donovan Court. That work is scheduled for five hours, beginning at the same time as the downtown project but continuing two hours beyond the anticipated end of the M Street closure. Detours and a flagger will also be in place at that location.
Emergency vehicles will not be permitted through either closed section during the work periods. The restriction applies to both projects, meaning the affected stretches will be unavailable as through routes for emergency vehicles as well as the westbound motorists covered by the closure notices.
The overlapping schedules place both westbound closures in effect from 8 to 11 a.m. After 11 a.m., the announced work schedule calls for the M Street closure to end, while the restriction on Northwest Morgan Lane remains in effect until 1 p.m. These are the scheduled closure windows provided by the city.
Motorists whose Thursday routes include either section are advised to avoid the work areas and use alternate streets. Drivers approaching the closures will encounter detour arrangements and on-site traffic direction. Neither notice identifies the specific streets that will serve as detour routes, so motorists will need to follow the signs and flagger instructions at each location.
The city’s notices, posted September 30, identify paving as the reason for both closures. They specify restrictions on westbound traffic but do not describe any separate eastbound closure. The notices also do not provide additional details about driveway access, parking restrictions or access to individual properties within the work areas.
Residents, businesses and others seeking clarification about access or the paving schedule can contact the City of Grants Pass at 541-450-6110. Both projects are scheduled for Thursday morning, with the longer closure on Northwest Morgan Lane extending through the noon hour and ending at 1 p.m.