 A truck in the new center turn lane of Oregon 42 prepares to turn left at Overland Road on Thursday, Oct. 9. The turn lane extends four miles along the highway, allowing drivers to move out of the travel lanes and safely turn left at any of 15 side streets or more than a dozen private driveways in this area.
ODOT NEWS RELEASE
Watch for new traffic pattern on Oregon 42 west of Coquille
October 9, 2025
COQUILLE – As part of a paving project on Oregon 42 west of Coquille, ODOT will adjust the travel lanes to make it easier and safer for drivers to make left turns.
Prime contractor Knife River Materials will restripe a four-mile section of highway this week between Green Acres Lane and Fernwood Road (milepost 3.3-7.3) to create a continuous center turn lane.
Before construction, this area consisted of four lanes, two in each direction. The new continuous center turn lane will take the place of one of the four travel lanes.
Over the years, there have been many crashes in this area, including rear-end crashes and lane departure crashes. Some resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.
Center turn lanes provide space for drivers to move out of fast-moving traffic before making a left turn, improving safety and helping to reduce the number of rear-end crashes.
There are 15 side road intersections and more than a dozen private driveways where drivers can make left turns along this section of highway.
The new traffic pattern will provide two eastbound travel lanes and one westbound lane between Green Acres Road and Coaledo Road (milepost 3.3-4.9). From Coaledo Road to Fernwood Road (milepost 5.3-7.3), there will be one eastbound and two westbound travel lanes.
Drivers should watch for temporary lane closures and traffic congestion through the end of the week. The striping work is scheduled to be completed by Friday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.
New rumble strips
Another safety improvement will be the addition of centerline rumble strips in the two-lane section of Oregon 42 between Fernwood Road and Cedar Point Road (milepost 7.3 to 9.6).
Centerline rumble strips alert drivers when they begin to drift across the yellow line into oncoming traffic, reducing the number of lane departure crashes.
In addition to the safety features, the Oregon 42: U.S. 101 to Cedar Point Road project will repave seven miles of Oregon 42, repair seven bridges and replace two dozen culverts.
All work on the $11.77 million project is scheduled for completion in October 2026, though most construction will be finished later this year.
For more information, visit the project webpage or contact ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov.
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