12/10/05 - A view from the ground of the cable net slope protection covering the rock face
12/10/05 - The Contractor hoists the cable net slope protection (mesh netting) on to the rock face with a crane
12/10/05 - The cable net slope protection is ready to be secured to the slope
12/10/05 - Wilder Construction had to install cables, cross-ties, and weave sections of the cable net together before it could be secured to the slope
12/08/05 - View from the drill basket hanging from the crane looking east
12/08/05 - Bird's eye view from the drill basket looking west
11/27/05 - Wilder (shown above) and Crux (shown below) working in harsh winter conditions to get the job done as soon as possible.
11/24/05 - Some boulders required twice the effort to break them into pieces small enough to transport off the job site.
11/23/05 - WSDOT Inspector, Brad Schut, standing next to huge boulders that came from the slope.
11/22/05 - The hydraulic rock hammer in action, bringing down more rock from the slope. In the background, several workers hang more than forty feet off the ground in the drilling basket, as they progress on bolt installation.
11/22/05 - Refrigerator sized boulders were brought down from the rock face on Tuesday. Some boulders rolled as far as the base of the rockfall fence that divides the work zone from motorists.
11/21/05 - Monday this rock (8 ft x 6 ft x 4ft) unexpectedly fell in the work zone. The drill basket was anchored to this rock with a chain. Very fortunately, the chain broke and no one was injured.
11/21/05 - This drill platform was anchored to the rock that fell today. Note the chain hanging down that was broken when the rock fell.
11/16/05 - Rhine hydraulic hammer knocks down large rock from the slope
11/16/05 - Rhine hydraulic hammer at work
Close up of rock bolting operation; notice broken up (crumbling) nature of the rock
HITACHI EX 700 - This specialized excavator from R.W. Rhine Demolition, Inc., out of Seattle/Tacoma will utilize a hydraulic hammer to provide precise, high-volume rock removal from the unstable slope in a safer and more efficient manner than the current manual process using picks and jacks. This equipment should arrive on the construction site the week of November 14, 2005.
11/10/05 @ 9:30 am - A rockfall fence protects motorists from the construction work zone.
11/10/05 @ 9:30 am - The boom gives a good perspective to the severity and height of the rock slope.
11/10/05 @ 9:30 am - WSDOT and construction workers continue to analyze the rock slope and bring down rock.
The area of present concern is an 18 inch wide tension crack that has developed behind the mass of loose rocks just to the left of the original rock slide shown in the upper right corner of this photo.
Large cracks that have opened within the mass of rocks in the center of the photo suggest an imminent failure of an additional 300 to 500 cubic yards of rock.
Existing ditch shows limited area to catch the amount of rockfall from the pending slope failure.
November 6 rockslide on westbound I-90.
November 6 rockslide on westbound I-90 from another angle.
Unstable rocks above freeway.