
The contractor has begun breaking ground on the I-84/Highway 197: The Dalles, Rufus and Arlington Bridges project in Rufus. For the next month, crews will be working mostly off the highway, with minimal impact to traffic. After the October work is complete, crews will leave for a couple of months and come back to Rufus and begin work in Arlington in January, working through May. During these months at the Rufus and Arlington construction zones, motorists can expect moderate delays with occasional rolling slowdowns, speed reductions to 45 mph, and a cross-over traffic configuration with single lane opposing traffic separated by tubular markers. The cross-over traffic configurations will NOT be implemented in the summer months (Memorial Day – Labor Day) and work will instead switch to single lane and shoulder closures to continue work underneath the bridges during the summer.
In May of 2025, crews will move to the Dalles portion of the project (U.S. 197 over I-84 Bridge), returning to Arlington sometime in the Fall of 2025 and again at both Rufus and Arlington in the winter/spring of 2026. We are estimating a project completion date of Spring 2026.
ESTIMATED TIMELINE:
October 2024- work in Rufus (minimal delays)
November-December 2024- no work
January 2025- May 2025- work in Rufus and Arlington (moderate delays)
May 2025- September 2025- work moves to The Dalles: U.S. 197 over I-84 Bridge
September 2025- November 2026 work moves back to Rufus (moderate delays)
January 2026- May 2026 work continues at Rufus and Arlington (moderate delays)
May 2026: Project Completion
*schedule subject to change.
City of Rufus
304 W. 2nd Street, PO Box 27, Rufus OR 97050

PUBLIC NOTICE
CHARTER COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Charter Committee for the City of Rufus will be holding a public meeting to review the 1965 City Charter, identify outdated or unclear provisions, and determine whether amendments or a modernized charter would better serve the City of Rufus.
The Meeting will take place on March 11, 2026 at 4:00 pm at the Rufus City Hall, 304 West 2nd, Rm 200.