Date:  Monday, October 12, 2009

Contact: Meagan McFadden, WSDOT SC Region Communications (509) 654-0697
For information on Emergency Response in Yakima County, call Jim Hall at Yakima Emergency Management (509) 574-1900

YAKIMA – WSDOT crews are working to re-establish a temporary route around the damaged section of SR 410 west of Naches, with the goal of safe access to Yakima for the 600 homes and businesses along SR 410.

Once safe for local traffic, this temporary route will also re-connect emergency services and WSDOT maintenance services to 36 miles of SR 410 beyond the slide area. Currently, those living within the slide area must travel close to two hours to employment or services in the Yakima area.

Environmental and geo-technical experts indicate it is now safe to begin work, so workers, dump trucks and other large machinery arriving on the site today will start to place several culverts, roadway fill material and a crushed rock driving surface.

WSDOT closed SR 410 at 6 a.m. Sunday when the highway section was uplifted and pushed into the Naches River. The closed section of SR 410 highway is between Mount Rainier National Park's Lake Tipsoo and the junction with US 12, five miles west of Naches. A 90-mile detour is available through Mount Rainier National Park and over SR 123 Cayuse Pass.

Commercial vehicles are not allowed in Mount Rainier National Park, so these drivers must use US 12 or I-90.

Passenger vehicles can also detour over I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. There is an active construction project on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass and between Cle Elum and Easton. WSDOT is encouraging motorists to leave early and plan for extra travel time.

To learn more view photos of the landslide that closed SR 410 visit: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr410/landslide or http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157622438776353/. Video is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAw2RHZR8MI.  

For the latest roadway information, visit the WSDOT Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov or call 5-1-1 before you leave your home or office. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388. Out-of-state callers can access the information at call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).

On the road, look for WSDOT’s overhead and roadside electronic signs. WSDOT also advises drivers to program highway advisory radio - 530AM and 1610AM.

For other travel impacts related to construction and maintenance projects visit: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthCentral/Construction/.

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WSDOT's mission is to keep people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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