WSDOT Projects

 
View map of at risk areas on SR 410 inside and outside of the Mount Rainier National Park.

  
Flooding over the roadway on Nov. 7, 2006 closed access to Crystal Mountain Boulavard and access to Mount Rainier National Park.



Representatives from WSDOT explain how the forces of the White River erode SR 410 at the May 30, 2007 project open house.


Floods in 2003 and 2005 hampered access to Mount Rainier National Park and Crystal Mountain Boulevard.

Project Facts

• The Federal Highway Administration has selected the Chinook Scenic Byway (a 75 mile section of SR 410) as one of eleven byways in Washington State to receive funding for preservation of historic features. The $100,000 will help with the rehabilitation of the historic Naches Depot and provide trail, pedestrian and shuttle services for byway travelers on SR 410.
• SR 410 serves as a summer short cut for drivers traveling from Enumclaw to Yakima. If SR 410 is over taken by the White River, these travelers will have to add 70 miles or more to their trip.
• Built in the 1920's and 1930's, SR 410 was built on as narrow a footprint as possible to limit its effect on the natural environment.

Overview
WSDOT implemented short-term fixes on State Route 410 near the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. These stop-gap protection measures will slow the erosion and flooding threat posed by the White River until a long-term solution is in place by the National Park Service.

WSDOT is committed to taking comprehensive steps to save this nationally recognized Scenic Byway for future generations. The 2005 Gas Tax provides $17 million to preserve the road between Greenwater and the Mt. Rainier National Park boundary. We expect to start this work by summer 2009. The National Park Service will lead a separate effort to develop solutions for the problem sites within its jurisdiction.

Why is WSDOT planning repairs along State Route 410 just outside Mt. Rainier National Park?
The wandering White River, the force of gravity, and melting snow pack and glaciers combine to threaten a large section of SR 410 near Mount Rainier. In some areas the river is eroding and damaging the highway. In other areas the river has shown it can jump its banks and use SR 410 as a riverbed, causing heavy damage.

Steps must be taken now to protect SR 410. Recent river activity shows the high risk that the river could shift its flow to the highway. If that happens, sections of the highway may be irreparably damaged and access from the west side of Mount Rainier to Sunrise Visitor Area in the park could be lost. Access also would be threatened or severed to Crystal Mountain Boulevard, that joins SR 410 just outside the park entrance, and to nearby cabins. Travelers who rely upon SR 410 as a summer shortcut between Enumclaw and Yakima would have to add 70 miles or more to their cross-Cascades trip.

The End Result
All of the fixes that WSDOT is considering will change the natural course of the river and require careful consideration to assure acceptable habitat conditions. Structures that deflect the river away from the road like engineered logjams, will be built along the highway at high risk areas for flooding or erosion.

WSDOT may build dikes in locations where the river is higher then the highway. Another possible solution would be to elevate the highway in these areas to protect SR 410 from flooding. Depending on how the highway is elevated, this option could have the most impact on local communities, businesses and residents and present a major challenge for environmental protection.

Project Benefits

• Highway Preservation: The stop-gap measures will help preserve this designated All-American Road that contains one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States.
• Reduce Repetitive Maintenance costs:  The funding provided by the Legislature is through WSDOT's Chronic Environmental Deficiencies Program (CED). The CED program was created to resolve repetitive maintenance problems that affect transportation infrastructure as well as rivers, streams and aquatic habitat.
• Environment: Placing woody debris in dikes or logjam structures provide a sheltered place for fish to rest during storms. These features will benefit habitat for the many species of fish in the White River.

What is the project timeline?
June 2005: WSDOT completed an assessment, called a reach analysis, of SR 410 that determined which stretches of the highway are most at risk of White River erosion and flooding.

2006: WSDOT is working with the National Park Service to plan comprehensive steps to save the highway. Maintenance crews closely monitor the highway and make short-term repairs as needed.

2007:  WSDOT is gatering data to design a plan of comprehensive steps to preserve SR 410.

Summer 2009:  We plan to begin construction.

Public Involvement
The preservation effort will need to involve local communities, area businesses and residents, as well as those who use SR 410 to travel across the Cascades.

Environmental Protection
Built in the 1920s and 1930s, SR 410 was constructed on as narrow a foot print as possible to limit its effect on the natural environment. Today, the White River serves as migratory, breeding and rearing habitat for winter steelhead, trout, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, chum salmon and bull trout. The forest surrounding the river is home to the threatened marbled murrelet seabirds and the spotted owl.

Construction activities will be scheduled to have the least affect on the species in and around the Mt. Rainier National Park. Construction in this area can only occur when it will not disturb the spawning salmon or trout. In addition, all construction must occur during the day to avoid disturbing the marbled murrelets' nightly migration to feed in Puget Sound.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental Services Web site for more information.

Increasing safety is one of our priorities
During construction, WSDOT will implement all necessary traffic management and safety measures.

Will this project impact tribal resources?
The Mount Rainier area was and continues to be an important gathering place for many tribes. The Muckleshoot, Puyallup and Yakama tribes have treaty reserved fishing rights in the area and a strong interest in protecting the high quality of river habitat for spawning and rearing. These tribes will be included in short-term and long-term preservation efforts.

Financial Information
This project is funded through the following sources:

• 2005 Gas Tax (Partnership Funding) - $16.8 million
• Total Funding Available From All Sources - $16.8 million

How can I get more information?
Contact:
Project Engineer Dawn McIntosh
15700 Dayton Avenue North
Seattle , WA 98133
Phone: (206) 440-44957
e-mail: McintoD@wsdot.wa.gov

or

WSDOT Communications Patty Michaud
15700 Dayton Avenue North
Seattle , WA 98133
Phone:  (206) 786-4079
e-mail:  michaup@wsdot.wa.gov

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