Date:
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Contact:
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4702 (Seattle)
Eric Walkinshaw, Mount Rainier National Park Project Manager, (360) 569-2166
Mount Rainier National Park, Western Federal Lands Highway Division, and Washington State Department of Transportation announce that repair of State Route (SR) 123, damaged during the November 2006 floods, is now under way.
The repair contract was awarded to Saybr Contractors Inc. of Tacoma for $4,937,800 on June 5, 2007. The contractor began work June 18 and is scheduled to complete repairs and reopen SR 123 in early October 2007.
Due to the nature of the extensive damage, a 10.9-mile long segment of SR 123 from just south of Cayuse Pass (intersection with SR 410) to just north of the intersection with the Stevens Canyon Road will remain closed to both public and administrative traffic for the duration of the contract. It is estimated that the contractor will import more than 50,000 tons of rock to reconstruct the roadway embankments washed away by the heavy rains.
“We have been working closely with WFLHD geotechnical/design engineers in assessing the damage and developing repair strategies,” park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga said.
WSDOT maintains SR 123 within park boundaries under an agreement with the park. Working with WFLHD, Mount Rainier is responsible for planning and funding highway improvements and repairs.
The November floods also damaged sections of the Stevens Canyon Road that connect the east and west sides of the park. Barring any unforeseen problems, Stevens Canyon Road should reopen on June 22. At present, the Stevens Canyon Road is open on the west side to Reflection Lake and on the east side to the Grove of the Patriarchs. Once opened, traffic will need to alternate through a very short one-lane section located approximately 3 miles west of SR 123. Once opened, visitors will be able to access Stevens Canyon from the southeast via SR 123/US 12 and on to the west side of the park.
Updated information on this project may be obtained by calling Mount Rainier National Park at 360-569-2166. Information on this project, as well as general park information, is also available on Mount Rainier National Park’s Intranet Homepage (www.nps.gov/mora).
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