ODOT programs 2027-2029 rockfall-catchment project near The Dalles

The Oregon Department of Transportation has programmed a project to install a rockfall-catchment system beside Interstate 84 at Kaser Ridge, east of The Dalles in Wasco County.

ODOT lists the project for anticipated construction between 2027 and 2029, with an estimated cost range of $0-$10 million. The agency says funding has been identified, but the 2027-2030 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program remains pending federal approval.

A recurring rockfall site east of the city

The project location is on I-84 between milepoints 93.20 and 93.60. ODOT describes Kaser Ridge as a basalt cliff next to the interstate and says its geology team identified a rock chute near milepost 93.42.

According to ODOT’s project record, rockfall-related crashes occurred in January and August 2023. The January crash involved two commercial trucks and a passenger vehicle. The August crash involved a commercial truck. In January 2024, a boulder reached the roadway without causing a crash.

ODOT says no rockfall events had been reported on that section before early 2023 and expects additional events because of the type of basalt at the site.

Catchment system would keep rocks off I-84

ODOT plans to build a system that could include a barrier, netting or a comparable structure to contain falling rocks before they reach the roadway. The agency’s stated goals are to reduce the chance of rocks reaching I-84, improve traveler safety and limit damage to the pavement and roadbed.

ODOT also says the system could reduce maintenance costs and improve the section’s resilience to weather changes and earthquakes. The system is intended to catch falling rocks; ODOT does not say it would eliminate rockfall.

Programmed, but not fully cleared to proceed

ODOT’s project page calls the work programmed and says programmed projects have funding identified and were approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission in January 2026.

Separately, ODOT’s STIP documents page says the 2027-2030 plan was adopted by the commission on June 11, 2026, and is pending federal approval. The project is therefore included in the adopted state plan, but it should not be described as fully approved or guaranteed to proceed.

What the project could mean locally

Kaser Ridge is outside The Dalles’ municipal street network, but the work concerns a major interstate route used by local commuters, workers, freight operators and businesses in the Columbia Gorge. ODOT describes the Gorge as an important freight corridor and says planned projects can affect residents and businesses.

Construction could eventually involve lane, shoulder or other travel impacts, but ODOT has not yet provided final staging, exact work dates, lane-closure details, detour plans or a final project cost in the cited records. Travelers and local businesses will need to rely on later ODOT project notices and TripCheck updates for those details.

Sources

• ODOT I-84 Kaser Ridge Rockfall project page