Date:
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Contact:
Melanie Coon, 206-437-6314,
Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties
Alice Fiman, 360-789-4035,
Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce and Thurston counties
Sylvia Ross, 360-852-2537,
Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties
Susan Harris, 206-995-4076, Ferry Information
OLYMPIA – As predicted, rain, snow and high winds barreled over Western Washington overnight. WSDOT crews were ready and began responding to a number of locations statewide to clear debris and fallen trees, monitor water levels over highways and deal with downed power lines.
WSDOT continues to monitor conditions all over the state. Current ferry run disruptions and highway/bridge closures follow by county:
Clallam County
SR 112 Multiple locations
WSDOT is repairing several areas of shoulder erosion along SR 112. The roadway is reduced to single-lane alternating flagged traffic at three locations near Rasmussen Creek, just west of the Sekiu River Bridge, and just west of the community of Clallam Bay. In addition, crews are monitoring roadway cracks east of Bull Man Creek and just west of the Sekiu River Bridge.
Jefferson County
SR 104 Beaver Valley Road
SR 104 is closed at the intersection of SR 19 due to downed power lines on the road.
King County
SR 520 Evergreen Floating Bridge
Winds exceeding 50 mph currently have closed the bridge to all vehicle traffic.
Pacific County
US 101, Butte Creek vicinity
A portion of US 101 dropped about a foot Friday night, Jan. 20, closing the northbound lane only between Butte and Smith Creek roads. A detour is in place and WSDOT crews are stationed at each end of the site to ensure no one enters the area.
Whatcom County
SR 542 Mt. Baker Ski Area
Winter white-out conditions have SR 542 closed at milepost 52, just east of the Mt. Baker Ski Area due to high winds, fallen trees and slides. The road to the White Salmon Lodge is open; the road to the upper lodge is closed.
SR 9 near Acme (east of Bellingham)
WSDOT crews closed all lanes of SR 9 around 1:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, south of Acme in Whatcom County because the road is shifting and sinking. Currently there is a 300-foot long crack in the road. This area has a history of settlement. Sign and message boards are posted in advance of the closure. A temporary signal is alternating traffic through the work zone. There is a weight restriction of 18,000 pounds on the open lane. This is a temporary solution until we hire a contractor and start work on Monday, Feb. 6. Drivers are urged to use I-5 as an alternate to SR 9. Southbound drivers can connect to I-5 from SR 9 using SR 542 near Bellingham. Northbound drivers can divert to I-5 using SR 20 near Burlington.
Other Travel Disruptions:
Washington State Ferries
The Port Townsend/Keystone ferry is canceled until further notice. The Clinton Ferry terminal sustained some damage but there is no disruption to ferry service. For more ferry information visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
Amtrak Cascades:
Service between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. is scheduled to resume Saturday (Feb. 4). Service between Seattle and Portland is also scheduled to resume Saturday (Feb. 4). Passengers are encouraged to call 1-800-USA-RAIL for additional information, or visit www.AmtrakCascades.com
Mountain Passes
In the mountain passes, WSDOT crews are providing continuous snow clearance and keep traffic moving as safely and efficiently as possible. Avalanche control teams are on 24-hour alert conducting hourly evaluations on site. WSDOT crews are prepared to provide continuous snow clearance and to keep traffic moving as safely and efficiently as possible. Mountain pass reports are on the WSDOT web site at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/.
Affected, but not necessarily closed highways include: US-101, SR-4, SR-6, SR-100, SR-103, SR-105, SR-401, and SR-409, in Southwest Washington. Maintenance personnel clear most highways within 30 minutes but motorists who do not have to travel are asked to stay home.
For general traveler information, visit WSDOT's traveler web site at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/
Camera images, roadway temperatures and weather information can be found at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/roadtemps/
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