MONTESANO – Construction near the State Route 107 Chehalis River Bridge in Montesano will reach another milestone this week – and travelers may want to adjust plans if possible.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will require a series of 15-minute closures. The closures allow crews to set 15 bridge girders, varying in length from 124 feet to 147 feet.

Backups are likely so travelers are encouraged to consolidate or cancel discretionary travel during the daytime work.

Crews will soon kick off an effort to add a new roadway surface to several areas of State Route 8 between Elma and Summit Lake in Thurston County. In addition to the highway, crews also will repave the westbound and eastbound SR 8 exits to US 12 Oakville/Centralia in Elma.

The work will begin Monday, July 15 and continue into fall.

What this means for travelers

• Daytime travelers will see single-lane closures in each direction.
• The Washington State Department of Transportation will lower the current 60 mph speed limit to 35 miles per hour when construction activities require lane closure.
• Ramp paving will require night closures. WSDOT will announce when this closures are scheduled. 

HOQUIAM – A smoother ride for travelers using US 101 between Hoquiam and Aberdeen is almost here. Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation are finishing striping and utility work along a four-mile stretch of the highway. This work requires overnight lane closures that travelers will want to plan for.

Weeknights June 21 – July 9 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. each following day:

• The eastbound highway between South 5th Street and South H Street will be reduced to a single lane.
• Travelers are encouraged to watch for “wet paint” signs and not cross closed work zones.

This work is weather dependent and could be rescheduled.

This project extends the life of the highway while reducing annual maintenance costs. Work is slated to wrap up mid-July.

MONTESANO – Work to rehabilitate the 1950s-era State Route 107 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA5MTYuMjcyMTc4OTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3dzZG90LndhLmdvdi9Qcm9qZWN0cy9TUjEwNy9jaGVoYWxpc3JpdmVyYnJpZGdlcmVoYWIvZGVmYXVsdC5odG0ifQ.fITaAehgZmxU-BwuvH5SYZS85YDGNYA4CMwQn25yx3A/s/668312341/br/84985565746-l&source=gmail&ust=1600399886689000&usg=AFQjCNG6wBZIP6Iy8slK5sjrVqcExITvXw" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: underline;">Chehalis River Bridge in Montesano will reach a key milestone during the last weekend of September.  In order to reach that milestone, travelers will want to plan ahead for a total bridge closure and adjust travel plans.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close the highway approaching the bridge to switch traffic onto the newly constructed portion, reconfigure concrete barrier and make adjustments to the temporary traffic signal.

The move to the new bridge portion requires traffic to be completely off the roadway, away from heavy machinery. Emergency response vehicles will not be able to pass through the construction zone.

The city of Cosmopolis will be paving on the roadway entering Cosmo Specialty Fibers’ West Gate on July 3rd, 4th, and 5th, reopening on July 6th.

In working with the City of Cosmopolis and the Cosmopolis Police Department, we collectively reached the conclusion that the F Street Boat Launch will be closed during this time to all vehicles, boats, and pedestrians. Access to the boat launch will resume on July 6th.

Cosmo Specialty Fibers will require the rerouting of all truck traffic to the mill through our property adjacent to the boat launch.

 A smoother ride along a four-mile stretch of US 101 between Aberdeen and Hoquiam is almost here. Before that can happen, crews must close the US 101 Hoquiam River Simpson Avenue Bridge over several nights for grinding and paving. Rognlin’s Inc. crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will pave portions of the highway leading up to the bridge during overnight hours when traffic volumes are less. Nearby residents may hear increased noise levels from construction activities.

8 p.m. Monday through Friday May 17- 21 to 6 a.m. each following day:

• Crews will work at the intersection of US 101/10th Street approaching the bridge.
• A signed detour will direct eastbound travelers to the US 101 Hoquiam River Riverside Bridge, where two-way travel will be temporarily allowed.
• The work and associated nightly closures could be rescheduled due to weather.

Portable message signs placed near the work zone advise travelers to plan ahead to avoid delays.

This project extends the life of the highway for years to come while reducing annual maintenance costs. Work will wrap up later this summer.

COSMOPOLIS – Repairs to an unstable slope on US 101 south of Cosmopolis in Grays Harbor County have wrapped up, bringing relief to travelers.

Earlier this month, Rognlin’s Inc. crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation finished paving, striping and sign installation along a one-mile stretch of US 101. Crews reopened the highway for a single lane of traffic in each direction.

This location on US 101 has historically experienced significant roadway settlement. During the two-year and $10 million contract to repair the unstable slope, crews drilled approximately 600 shaft columns up to 50 feet deep into the earth to support the roadway.

WSDOT would like to thank travelers for their patience during this important project.

Second slide still needs work

A second slide zone along this same highway nearly 1,000 feet away was discovered in January. Preparations to address this new settlement are underway and a contract for competitive bids is expected to be made available in 2021 with construction occurring later that year. Travelers will encounter alternating traffic conditions around-the-clock until this project is addressed and work completed.

Washington State Parks, in cooperation with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will temporarily close a 4-mile stretch of beach from Warrenton Cannery Road to Cranberry Beach Road to motorized vehicles. 

The Washington State Department of Transportation is warning anyone who plans to travel across the Simpson Avenue Bridge in Hoquiam to plan for extra time next week. 

Starting 8 a.m. Monday, May 10, bridge maintenance crews will examine the structure using a special under-bridge inspection truck. 

This work requires crews to close the bridge to travelers for safety

Permanent speed limit changes coming to SR 109 near Copalis Beach

Starting April 26, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin preservation work on the US 101 Hoquiam River Riverside Bridge.

Panther Industrial Painting, LLC crews will install a containment system beneath the bridge approaches to comply with environmental regulations for the project. The 465-foot-long lift bridge needs a new protective coat around the steel girders that support the roadway above.

HOQUIAM – Travelers whose plans include using the State Route 109 Spur in Hoquiam are encouraged to plan ahead for back-to-back daytime closures of the roadway later this month.

The closures will allow Washington State Department of Transportation crews to perform maintenance work and prepare for the winter storm season.

The SR 109 Spur will close to all traffic between US 101 and SR 109:

7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 30-31.
Drivers will detour via US 101 and SR 109.

Drivers are encouraged to plan for a series of four late night closures of the US 12 Wishkah River Bridge in Aberdeen.

A four-mile stretch of US 101 between Aberdeen and Hoquiam will soon begin its final phase of construction. Rognlin’s Inc. crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will replace worn out pavement beginning Monday, May 3. Work will take place during overnight hours when traffic volumes are lower. Nearby residents may hear increased noise levels from construction activities.

Travelers who use US 101 near Cosmopolis or “Cosi Hill” in Grays Harbor County will need to plan for brief delays on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Weather permitting, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will repair cracks and repave portions of the roadway. This work requires one-way alternating traffic controlled by flaggers. Once the work is complete, traffic will resume to normal driving conditions and the “bump” signs removed.

This site is the location of an existing WSDOT project, which aims to stabilize a section of US 101 that has experienced chronic roadway settlement. A recent evaluation of the roadway by WSDOT Geotechnical Engineers determined the latest cracks are localized and not as deep as other earth movements observed in the past. The engineers believe this is in part due to the ongoing column and shaft work that began on the project earlier this summer.

The project is expected to be complete fall of 2020. WSDOT would like to thank travelers for their patience as crews work to address this long-term issue.

The Washington State Patrol and WSDOT wants to remind drivers of some important safety things and discusses their operations where Winter driving is concerned. One large reminder in any adverse weather conditions increase following distances, reduce speed and remain alert for potential hazards such as wet, icy or snowy roadways, as well as fallen trees, downed power lines and mudslides.

ABERDEEN – Daytime US 12 travelers should plan for delays approaching the Wishkah River Bridge in Aberdeen. Washington State Department of Transportation bridge crews will conduct a routine inspection of the 1925 moveable bridge beginning Monday, March 15. During the inspection, crews will reduce the westbound crossing to a single lane.

Work schedule:

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Tuesday, March 15-16.

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Newly discovered pier settlement on the State Route 107 Chehalis River Bridge just south of Montesano has led Washington State Department of Transportation officials to temporarily close the bridge to travelers next week.