Date:
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Contact:
Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5947 (Burlington)
Chris Damitio, Project Engineer, 360-788-7403 (Bellingham)
MOUNT BAKER – Crews will start work Monday, Oct. 6, to repair a damaged retaining wall at the Razor Hone Creek bridge on Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) near the Mount Baker ski area.
The road will be reduced to one lane at milepost 51 as crews excavate the soil behind the retaining wall. Flaggers will direct traffic during the day, and a temporary signal will be in place to control traffic at night. Drivers could face up to 20-minute delays while crews work. Construction hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Crews will decide Monday whether to completely close the road to traffic. They have taken soil samples, but won’t be able to know the extent of the soil instability until they begin excavating on Monday. If the roadway needs to be completely closed, crews will work seven days a week to repair the area and restore traffic.
The retaining wall supports part of the Razor Hone Creek bridge, just west of the ski area. The wall has tipped out more than six degrees, resulting in an approximately 18-inch gap at the top. The existing bridge is over 60 years old. While the bridge is sound, it is possible that possible changes in runoff or poor drainage may have resulted in more pressure on the wall than it was designed to withstand.
Drivers or tourists wanting to access Mount Baker Ski Area or Artist Point should check the WSDOT construction updates page (www.wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/Baker/Construction/default.htm#RazorHone) to find out about any road restrictions.
Photos of the wall are available on our Flickr site at http://flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157606836345167/.
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