Date:
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Contact:
Jeff Adamson, North Central Region Communications Manager, Wenatchee, (509) 667-2815, (509) 669-8778 Cell. E-mail: adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov
WENATCHEE -- The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close State Route 28 near Rock Island Dam for up to four days next year to stabilize a rock slope above the highway. WSDOT engineers have scheduled two open houses to find out from the highway’s users, when and what kind of closures will have the least impact. On Tuesday, July 24th, an open house is taking place at the Eastmont Junior High in East Wenatchee. On Wednesday, July 25th, the open house will be held at the Quincy City Hall. Both events are scheduled from 5 to 8 with a formal presentation at 7 p.m.
The closure would be for the third phase of an $8.5 million project that started in 2003, to stabilize rock slopes above the highway. Potentially dangerous rocks will be removed in the third phase and a steel-mesh curtain will be installed over the western-most part of the slope.
It takes about a half-hour to drive from East Wenatchee to Quincy. When the highway is closed, drivers would face a nearly 90-mile detour through Waterville and Ephrata. An average of 6,400 to 6,800 vehicles per day traveled past Rock Island Dam on SR 28 in 2005.
Alternatives for the closure include a two- to four-day closure on one or two weekends. The work itself could be split in two - early spring for the slope scaling and mid-summer for the mesh installation. The work could all be done midsummer or all of it in the fall. The work can't be done in April, May or June because that's when golden eagles are present. The department wants to hear from the general public after already hearing from many organizations including emergency services, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, tourist, business and agricultural organizations.
In 2003, the first phase of the slope stabilization project blasted rock from the eastern-most portion of the 300-foot slope and cost $2.4 million. The second phase in 2004, cost $2 million and constructed a large concrete wall to hold rock in place above the western-most section where phase three will take place, next year. For more information, visit the project web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/NorthCentral/projects/SR28RockIslandSlopeStabilization/
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