Date:  Friday, March 26, 2010

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

STEVENSON – WSDOT has changed the closure schedule for SR 14 just east of Dog Mountain (milepost 54) to two-hour morning closures. Crews will close the highway between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday for blasting work, March 29 through June 14.

SR 14 near Dog Mountain is sandwiched between a vertical rock slope to the north and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks just 25 feet to the south. Because the tracks are so close to the work zone, there is significant potential for rocks to fall on the tracks during blasting work.

WSDOT has been coordinating closely with BNSF to avoid impacting more than 40 Amtrak and freight trains that pass by the work zone daily. Unforeseen conflicts have now required WSDOT to change its blasting schedule to help ensure the safety of train passengers.

This schedule change also reduces impacts to drivers on SR 14 by shifting full closures out of the afternoon commute.

Changing from afternoon to morning closures does not impact the overall project timeline. The project is on-schedule for completion in September.

The $3.8 million SR 14 Rockfall Mitigation project is funded through federal highway improvement dollars. The project will improve safety on SR 14 by removing loose rock, unstable soil, trees and other debris from slopes above the highway.

Drivers can stay current on SR 14 traffic impacts and closure information by signing up to receive WSDOT e-mail updates. To sign up, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR14/RockfallMitigationWhiteSalmon and click on “E-mail updates” in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

                                                                   ###

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.

< Go Back