Date:  Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Contact: Chris Tams, WSDOT Project Engineer, 1-866-279-0730 (Vancouver)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, 360-905-2058 (Vancouver)

Drivers should plan alternate routes to avoid delays

KELSO – Drivers on State Route 411 near Hazel Dell Road should expect daytime delays starting Monday, April 4, while crews clear landslide debris from the slope above the highway.

SR 411 will be reduced to one lane, and flaggers will direct traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. This work is expected to last until mid-May. Drivers are encouraged to take Interstate 5 or other alternate routes to avoid delays.

Earlier this year, heavy rains saturated the hillside above SR 411 and caused a landslide that closed the highway Jan. 16. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crews completed initial cleanup and got traffic moving again the next day.

Starting Monday, WSDOT contractor Thompson Brothers Excavating Inc. of Vancouver will finish clearing 400 dump-truck loads of mud and debris from the slope on the west side of SR 411.

Crews will flatten the slope, remove several trees that are in danger of falling, and plant vegetation on the hillside to help reduce erosion. They will also replace 500 feet of guardrail that was destroyed by the slide.

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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