October 12, 2009

Our interesting return trip

When I posted that I was back yesterday, I said:
and some fun getting back (more later)
Here is what happened to the route we were planning to take:
More from the WA State DOT Flickr pool:
With the hillside continuing to move, WSDOT officials say it is too soon to tell, the next steps will be for a closed section of SR 410 west of Naches.

�The hillside simply came down and landed on SR 410. Close to 1/2 mile of highway was demolished and that area is now covered with 25 to 30 feet of rock and other debris,� said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT�s Yakima-area Regional Administrator. �This morning the hillside is still unstable. We are working with the Washington State Patrol and local emergency officials to make sure those in the area are safe.�

WSDOT closed SR 410 at 6 a.m. Sunday when the highway section was uplifted and pushed into the Naches River. As the hillside continued to move, emergency officials evacuated close to 80 nearby residents. Due to the continuous movement of the hillside and the redirection of the Naches River channel, local officials closed Nile Road as it also suffered landslide damage and flooded.
To add to the confusion, the DOT was working on Cayuse Pass highway and had closed it, expecting people to detour using SR 410. Oops... Posted by DaveH at October 12, 2009 3:39 PM