Hwy. 26 Mt. Hood flagging, closures to begin

Rockfall improvements start off with a bang next week along a three-mile section of U.S. Highway 26 on Mt. Hood west of Government Camp. Flagging, highway and trail closures protect travelers from falling and exploding rocks as rockfall work gets underway on a safety improvement project.

Road closures for rock blasting

A section of U.S. 26 will close for up-to an hour between Kiwanis Camp Road and the Mirror Lake Curves from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 . This is the first of many closures of U.S. 26 this spring and summer for rock blasting. Rock blasting is a technique using where experts use a carefully calculated amount of explosives to bring remove rock from a slope in a controlled manner. Due to the danger of explosives U.S. 26 and nearby trails must close during the blasting.

24-hour flagging until May 21

Flagging on U.S. 26 will occur 24-hours a day from 5 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Friday every week until May 21 .

Starting at 5 a.m. Monday, April 20 to 10 a.m. Friday, April 24 , flaggers will direct travelers along U.S. 26 24-hours a day along a short section of U.S. 26 just west of the runaway truck ramp. Starting at 10 a.m. Friday , one lane will open in each direction for weekend traffic. During the flagging activities, people biking should consider using the travel lane as the shoulders will be narrow.

Flagging 24-hours a day is an alternative to multiple closures of U.S. 26 during work hours to remove rock from the over 100 foot tall slopes on the north side of U.S. 26. To prevent rocks from falling into the roadway, the contractor will place shipping containers between the work area along the slope and U.S. 26.

The shipping containers will act as a large barrier to prevent rocks from rolling or bouncing into U.S. 26 as work on the slopes take place. Flagging is required as U.S. 26 is not wide enough to accommodate the shipping containers, two lanes of traffic and a work zone.

People in the area should not be alarmed to a loud bang that may echo through the canyon as rocks roll into the shipping containers.

ODOT and K&E Excavating are committed to keeping the traveling public safe during construction of the U.S. 26 Mt. Hood Safety Project. Although this means delays and inconveniences along U.S. 26 and nearby trails, people can still get to their favorite destination on or beyond Mt. Hood.

Background

ODOT and K&E Excavating is constructing a project along a nearly eight-mile stretch of U.S. 26 between Kiwanis Camp Road and OR 35 to improve safety by reducing severe crossover crashes and rockfall.

Paving an eight mile section of U.S. 26 between Silent Rock and OR 35
Cutting back the slope along a 600 foot section at Map Curve to provide a 27 foot wide ditch for rocks to land away from the road
Cutting back the rock slope east of the runaway truck ramp to east of the Mirror Lake trailhead
Highway widening to install a median barrier
Placing a concrete barrier along a 1.6 mile section between the east and westbound lanes of U.S. 26 from just east of the run away truck ramp and east of the Mirror Lake curves.
Construction of a retaining wall to reduce impacts to existing trails from highway widening work
Extending the westbound passing lanes for a total of about 1,400 feet

Project Schedule: Work is expected to take place in the months of April-October each year in 2015 and 2016.

For more information visit: www.US26MtHoodSafety.org