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| NPS Photo |
| Rehabilitation of Stevens Canyon Road, Mount Rainier National Park, 2011-2013 |
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Date: August 15, 2011
Contact: Eric Walkinshaw, Project Manager, Mount Rainier National Park, 360-569-6713
Mount Rainier National Park Acting Superintendent Randy
King and Federal Highway Administration, Western Federal Lands Highway Division
officials announce that Phase 1 of the planned rehabilitation of
Stevens Canyon Road was awarded to MidMountain
Contractors, Inc. of Kirkland, WA for $2,322,367.90 with a Notice to Proceed
issued for project start on Monday, August 15, 2011 and a contract completion
date of October 30, 2011.
The National Park Service prepared an Environmental
Assessment and a
Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI), which was approved by the Pacific West Regional
Director on July 1, 2010.The FONSI calls
for the resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of the Stevens Canyon Road
and other related facilities, including bridges, tunnels, culverts, guard walls,
retaining walls, turnouts and the short Wonderland Trail section adjacent to
Reflection Lake. The improvements will occur along two segments of the road,
totaling 10.09 miles of the 19 mile road.
Segment 1 begins at the Nisqually-Paradise Road intersection and extends
east for 4.83 miles to the Stevens Creek Bridge. Segment 4 begins at the
Backbone Ridge Viaduct (just east of the Backbone Ridge Viewpoint) and
continues for 5.26 miles to the intersection with Washington State Route (SR)
123 (see
map).
Ten sites in Segment 1 and 35 sites in Segment 4 have
been identified as needing subsurface stabilization to halt roadway embankment
creep that has resulted in surface tension cracks and appreciable horizontal
and vertical displacement. Two of the 10 sites in Segment 1 require full
roadway embankment replacement down to 22 foot depth and retaining/guard wall
replacements.Most of the 35 sites in
Segment 4 require either ¾- width or full road embankment replacement down to 5
foot depth, some of which require retaining/guard wall replacements.
Due to the scope of the extensive roadway embankment
stabilization efforts, it will be necessary to close the east end (Segment 4)
of Stevens Canyon Road from the gate located just west of the Grove of the
Patriarchs (see attached map) to just east of the popular Backbone Ridge
Viewpoint from September 6, 2011 to the end of the contract period on October 30,
2011.
Pending weather conditions, the
roadway will likely be shut down for the winter season upon project completion.
The contractor will also be doing subsurface compaction grouting in both road
segments to stabilize the roadway in 2011.
Visitors will be able to access the Reflection Lakes area, Box Canyon
and Backbone Ridge Viewpoint area and adjacent trailheads from the west during
the 2011closure period.
Under a separate contract yet to be advertised, Phase 2
will take place during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, which will involve subsurface
stabilization work on the west end (Segment 1) and require closure from just
east of the Paradise Valley Road to the Box Canyon Area immediately following
Labor Day 2012 to when the road is shut down for the winter. The contractor
will also be repairing the tunnel walls at milepost 6.9 and 8.5 during the
closure period.During this period,
visitors will be able to access up to the Box Canyon area from the east.From approximately June 2012 to just before
Labor Day 2012 the contractor will be conducting work in both segments, at
which time visitors should anticipate 20 minute delays Mondays through Fridays.
During the 2013 season, the contractor will focus on
drainage improvements, repair/stabilization and reconstruction of historic rock
retaining walls, milling/recycling the asphalt surface as road base; and resurfacing
with new hot-mix asphalt which will be accomplished while the roadway is open
to the public. At this time visitors should again anticipate 20 minute delays
Mondays through Fridays until project completion estimated in September, 2013.
Stevens Canyon Road connects the east and west side of
the park, extending for 19 miles from SR 123 at the east end to intersection
with the Nisqually to Paradise Road at the west end, two miles south of
Paradise. During the 2011 & 2012 closure periods, visitors are encouraged
to access the Paradise area from the southwest via the Nisqually Entrance at
east end of SR 706.Visitors traveling
from the east via SR 410, SR 123, and/or US 12 who wish to visit the Paradise
area have two detour options:Via
Gifford Pinchot National Forest Service Road 52 (Skate Creek Road) beginning on
US 12 in Packwood and ending on SR 706 east of Ashford; or the longer route via
SR 7 beginning in Morton on US 12 and ending on SR 706 at Elbe (see attached
map).
While the construction and associated closures and
traffic delays present an inconvenience, the rehabilitation work will not only
improve the driving surface of the roadway, but ensure its longevity.
Updated information on this
project may be obtained by calling Mount Rainier National Park at 360-569-2166.
Information on this project, as well as general park information, is also
available on Mount Rainier National Park’s
website.
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NOTE:Drivers can now get real time traffic and
weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most cell phones. This new traveler
information system builds upon the highly successful Washington State Highway
hotline that manages 4.6 million calls each year.Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide
construction, mountain pass conditions, and state ferry system information, as
well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call
1-800-833-6388.
-NPS-
