Date:  Thursday, March 03, 2011

Contact: Chris Tams, WSDOT Project Engineer, 360-759-1310 (Vancouver)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, 360-905-2058 (Vancouver)

Highway will be reduced to one lane throughout spring, summer

WASHOUGAL – Drivers on State Route 14 between Cape Horn and Salmon Falls Road should prepare for around-the-clock lane closures and delays beginning Monday, March 7, as crews begin construction on new pedestrian tunnels beneath the highway.

The highway will be reduced to one lane throughout the summer. An automated signal will alternate traffic 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Drivers can expect delays of up to 20 minutes, especially during peak travel times.

Closing one lane around the clock allows contractor crews working on a safety improvement project for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to build pedestrian tunnels under SR 14 near the Cape Horn viewpoint and Salmon Falls Road.

Crews will build one tunnel at a time, starting with the Cape Horn area tunnel this month and progressing to the tunnel near Salmon Falls Road by early summer. Both tunnels are expected to be complete by late summer.

The tunnels, funded through the Western Federal Lands Highway Division, improve safety for drivers and pedestrians by providing hikers a safer way to cross SR 14 – underneath the highway.

Tunnels under SR 14 are part of the $6.5 million SR 14, Cape Horn Bridge to Cape Horn Road project. This WSDOT project straightens curves and constructs turn lanes at key intersections to improve driver safety in western Skamania County.

The entire project is expected to be complete this fall.

Stay up-to-date on construction-related traffic impacts by visiting WSDOT’s Travel Alerts and Southwest Region Construction Update Web pages.

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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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