Date:
Monday, June 18, 2007
Contact:
Rich Hensley, Project Engineer, (866) 713-2412 (toll-free in Chehalis)
Alissa Bateman, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2078 (Vancouver)
CHEHALIS – Limited openings of State Route 508 at Bear Canyon begin June 25, announced the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT.) The highway will open Monday through Saturday mornings from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., and in the evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The highway will remain open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Flaggers will be on site during the openings, with a pilot car directing traffic safely through the single lane opening. This schedule will allow the traveling public limited use while allowing repair work to continue during the day.
“Work has been progressing very well,” said Project Engineer Rich Hensley. “This was a complicated project, requiring extensive reconstruction. We’re pleased that we are able to open the highway in the mornings and evenings. We look forward to successfully completing this project, and reopening the highway permanently to motorists.”
This emergency repair project is expected to be complete late July. The road was closed in early November 2006, when heavy rains contributed to the severely unstable slope to fail. Construction to repair the severely damaged roadway began April 23. The highway is being rebuilt by constructing a wall that is more that 450 feet long and is being re-established in its original alignment. The roadway embankment will be reconstructed and the highway will be resurfaced. Guardrail will also be installed.
To learn more about this project, review updates and view project photos, visit the project Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR508/BearCanyon.
For the most current project and travel information, visit the Southwest Region Construction Update and Travel Advisory page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthWest/Construction. The page is updated each Friday for the next week’s traffic impacts.
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Editor’s Note: For digital photos of the construction site, contact Alissa Bateman at (360) 905-2078.
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