Date:  Friday, February 26, 2010

Contact: Chris Tams, Columbia Gorge Area Engineer, 866-279-0730 toll-free (Vancouver)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)

Sign up on WSDOT’s Web site for traffic impact and closure updates

STEVENSON – Closures of SR 14 near Dog Mountain (mile post 54) start Wednesday, March 10 as crews get rolling on rockfall prevention work in the Columbia River Gorge.

WSDOT’s contractor, Hi-Tech Rockfall Construction Inc., will close SR 14 just east of the Dog Mountain Trailhead from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday afternoon, starting March 10 through June 14.

These closures are required for the safety of drivers and construction workers as crews drill into the rock face and blast away 22,000 cubic yards of rock from the vertical slope above the highway.

The Dog Mountain Trailhead parking lot and a portion of the trail will be closed during blasting work. Trail users are encouraged to check WSDOT’s Web site before planning their trips.

The closures that start March 10 are just the beginning for rockfall prevention work along SR 14. Between June 15 and September 2, the highway will be closed at Dog Mountain in two-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., seven days a week.

“We know this is a huge inconvenience, especially for commuters and other daily drivers on SR 14,” said Columbia Gorge Area Engineer Chris Tams. “Closing SR 14 allows us to finish work in one season rather than impacting traffic every summer, year after year. We will work as quickly as is safe to do so, and are thanking drivers in advance for their patience.”

Pre-scheduled one-hour openings in between the two-hour closures at Dog Mountain will allow drivers to plan their trips and avoid long delays. This schedule is in effect from June 15 through September 2:

• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. – CLOSED
• 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. – OPEN
• 10 a.m. to noon – CLOSED
• Noon to 1 p.m. – OPEN
• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – CLOSED
• 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – OPEN
• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – CLOSED
• 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day – OPEN

Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes during closures, including Oregon’s I-84. During openings, traffic on SR 14 will pass through the work zone in a single lane, alternating directions, controlled by an automated signal.

Drivers near White Salmon (mile post 64) will encounter full closures of SR 14 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., seven days a week, starting March 15. A local detour is available using SR 141 and the SR 141 Alternate through Bingen and White Salmon.

Drivers can stay current on traffic impacts and closure information by signing up to receive e-mail updates from WSDOT. To sign up, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR14/RockfallMitigationWhiteSalmon and click on “E-mail updates” in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

The SR 14 Rockfall Mitigation project will improve safety on SR 14 by removing loose rock, unstable soil, trees and other debris from slopes above the highway. Safety is WSDOT’s number one priority, and this stretch of SR 14 often succumbs to weather-related slides, compromising driver safety and spurring costly repairs. This project will help improve safety and reduce maintenance costs.

The $3.8 million project is funded through federal highway improvement dollars and is scheduled for completion in fall 2010.

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WSDOT keeps 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 www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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