The rapid repair of a flood-damaged highway section in Enumclaw attracted kudos from motorists just before Christmas, and some access to skiing at Stevens Pass will be restored Monday morning.
Other road projects will take longer because they pose different challenges, state officials say.
This weekend brought no major updates in the Puget Sound region to highway closures caused by this month’s historic flooding, Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson RB McKeon said Sunday, aside from reopenings that had already been announced.
A roughly 20-mile stretch of Highway 2 from Coles Corner to Stevens Pass is still set to reopen Monday to traffic guided by a pilot car. Other sections of Highway 2 will remain closed for now, McKeon said, emphasizing the varied nature of the repair jobs underway across the state.
The crews that repaired a washout on Highway 410 near Boise Creek in Enumclaw were able to rebuild a chunk of the road and an embankment in two days partly because the project was relatively straightforward and the weather was decent, McKeon said, also attributing the “incredible” job to the crews working around the clock under an emergency contract.
The rebuilt segment reopened Tuesday and drew positive reviews on social media, including from Crystal Mountain skiers, after WSDOT posted photos. Still, McKeon cautioned against comparing the project to other flood repairs, including on Highway 2 by Skykomish and along Tumwater Canyon.
For example, a bridge near Skykomish was covered in debris, she said.
“We have to dig out that bridge from the debris that slid over it and have bridge inspectors come take a look” to assess the damage, McKeon said.
Meanwhile, a washout on Highway 542 in Whatcom County limited traffic to one lane on a stretch east of Glacier over the weekend, affecting Mount Baker skiers. WSDOT used temporary signals Saturday, then added flaggers Sunday after hearing about backups from motorists, McKeon said.
“The washouts are all a little different,” she said. “We go in and take a really close look at what happened and then develop a repair plan accordingly.”
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