Date:
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Contact:
Mark Ettesvold, South Central Region Communications (509) 945-7702
Mike Westbay, South Central Region Communications Manager (509) 728-4712
HYAK – WSDOT contractor Wilder Construction has nearly completed the five-week-long repair effort to the rock face east of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass snowshed following the November 6 rockslide. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 13, WSDOT will move the temporary barriers used during the repair in order to open both eastbound lanes and one westbound lane to traffic. Safety work, including the fastening of cable-mesh rock containment netting and replacing damaged centerline barrier components, will continue for the next 2-3 days.
The contractor will return I-90 back to normal at the rockslide site in a two-stage process during the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 13. From 2-3:30 a.m., both westbound lanes will be closed for movement of the temporary barrier back to its normal, centerline position. From 3:30-5 a.m., both eastbound lanes will be closed to allow for the completion of the barrier movement and anchoring. The crews will pause briefly every half-hour to allow traffic through the closed sections.
“These are milestones we’ve been looking forward to,” said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT South Central Regional Administrator. “We had hoped to have I-90 at the rockslide site returned to normal condition well in advance of Christmas, and it looks as though we will reach that goal.”
Travelers can expect intermittent rolling slowdowns and/or temporary traffic interruptions during off-peak traffic periods as barrier repair and final safety work is performed. As such, travelers are reminded to pay strict attention to all information signs, and consult the 5-1-1 travel information line, traffic information radio (530AM or 1610AM), and the WSDOT website http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/ for the latest information on pass conditions. Details are available at the rockslide updates page http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/Rockslides/updates.htm.
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