Date:  Monday, January 12, 2009

Contact: Dave Chesson, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5970 (Burlington)

CONCRETE - Crews working to clear mudslides and repair damage to SR 20 east of Concrete are making progress. They opened one emergency-access lane Saturday, Jan. 10, and WSDOT let utility crews in today to try and restore power to the surrounding area.

Crews have a lot of work ahead of them, but one lane could be open to drivers as early as Friday, Jan. 16.

Multiple mudslides covered SR 20 with mud, rocks and trees on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The slides tore down power poles, ripped out 1,500 feet of guardrail, shoved concrete barrier off the highway and into the Skagit River, and damaged the roadway.

Pictures of the mudslides are located on our Flickr picture account -
www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157612283933921/.  

East of the mudslides, WSDOT maintenance crews have started clearing six avalanches off SR 20 between Newhalem and Diablo. The highway has been closed since Tuesday, Jan. 6 for avalanche danger. The avalanches came down after WSDOT closed the highway as a safety precaution. One lane could open as early as this evening.

Pictures of the avalanches are located on our Flickr picture account - www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157612439099339/.  

And to the south of the mudslides, another mudslide blocked all lanes of SR 530 on Wednesday, Jan. 7 south of Rockport. Crews worked through the weekend to open one lane to all drivers on Sunday, Jan. 12.

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