Oregon Highway 35 to Re-Open Saturday

Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort will also open on Saturday.

Salem-News.com

(MT. HOOD) - The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that a section of Highway 35, which had been severely damaged by debris flows Nov. 6th and Nov. 7th, will reopen to traffic on Saturday, at 5:00 AM -- a week ahead of schedule.

“ODOT, in partnership with Tri-State Construction, has stepped up to the challenge and delivered for the people of Oregon,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said.

“I saw first-hand the damage to Highway 35 and the fact that they’ve completed their work a full week early will not only allow the ski resort to re-open this weekend, but will also help the local economies.

ODOT’s contractor, Tri-State Construction, Inc., has been working 12-hour days since Tuesday, Nov. 14th to rebuild the 2.5 mile section of Highway 35 that was completely washed

There are more than 50 pieces of equipment currently in use and 50 dump trucks operating in the construction zone.

Workers have moved approximately 400,000 cubic yards of material.

Although the road will reopen Saturday, ODOT estimates the work to be 50% complete.

Significant work will continue off the highway during the coming months.

This work should not affect traffic.

For information on Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort visit: www.skihood.com

What Happened:

On Monday, Nov. 6th and Tuesday, Nov. 7th, a massive debris flow and sudden changes to the paths of several rivers on the east side of Mt. Hood severely damaged Highway 35.

About 2.5 miles of the road were washed out, undercut and/or covered by massive boulders (some larger than pickup trucks) and mud.

An estimated 2 million cubic yards of material -- mud, trees and boulders -- washed down the mountainside.

Gov. Kulongoski toured the scene with ODOT officials and community leaders on Nov. 21st and pledged to expedite the work to get the road repaired as soon as possible to minimize any economic impacts on the surrounding communities.

Impact:

The White River dug a new channel through the road, burying the old channel (both over and under the White River Bridge) in mud and boulders and completely washing out a section of the highway north of the bridge.

Washouts and undercuts also occurred at Clark and Newton Creeks and along the East Fork of the Hood River.