The Washington State DOT reports that work to reopen the third and final lane of northbound Interstate 5 near Woodland and the Dike Access Road on-ramp will begin after the New Year and will be complete by the end of January.
Emergency contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will use a series of rock anchors to stabilize the hillside that dumped debris, trees and car-sized boulders onto I-5 on Dec. 9. The landslide closed all northbound lanes of the highway. Crews reopened two lanes on Dec. 10.
“We’ve been monitoring the hillside for additional movements and also gathered geological data for our repair plan,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Susan Fell. “We’re moving quickly to get the right materials, equipment and experienced personnel to complete this highly technical and very specialized work.”
Project details
WSDOT geotechnical engineers designed the rock anchor repair for this project. Crews will drill a series of holes into the hillside, and then insert and grout 50-foot-long steel rods in each hole. Similar work has been used on WSDOT rockfall protection projects statewide.
The hillside work will not affect the two northbound lanes that reopened on Dec. 10, though a reduced 60 mph speed limit will remain in effect.
The repairs cost approximately $700,000, and will be paid for with Federal Highway Administration emergency funds.
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