Date:  Monday, January 05, 2009

Contact: Public Road Condition Inquiries: Call 5-1-1/ out of state callers call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).

Media Contacts:

Mike Westbay WSDOT Communications, 509-577-1617 (Yakima) Jeff Adamson, WSDOT Communications 509-667-2815 (Wenatchee) Al Gilson, WSDOT Communications, 509-324-6015 (Spokane) Alice Fiman, WSDOT Communication, 360-705-7080 (Olympia)

Check Snoqualmie Pass current conditions for the most recent updates.

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 6:15 a.m. update: All mountain pass highways are open. In Eastern Region, SR 271-Oakesdale to Rosalia (US 195) is closed. SR 23 Town of Sprague (I-90) to Steptoe (US 195), SR 272-Colfax to Palouse and SR 194-Pullman to the Snake River (Almota) are all open to local traffic only.

OLYMPIA – Drivers can now cross eastbound over I-90 Snoqualmie Pass but crews are still working on the westbound lanes. Drivers who do make it to Eastern Washington should expect blowing and drifting snow and possible road closures through the Palouse.

Both US 2 Stevens Pass and US 12 White Pass are open to travel in both directions, but drivers unfamiliar with these routes should expect slow travel on these two-lane, mountain pass highways. Avalanche control is scheduled for US 2 over Stevens Pass between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Avalanche control is underway on the westbound lanes of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. The roadway should reopen sometime this evening. The westbound I-90 closure begins at Ellensburg, but drivers heading westbound can reach Cle Elum via SR 10 and local roads.

The snow and rain still coming down, combined with unstable temperatures, can affect the stability of mountain snowpack. WSDOT monitors the snowpack and does avalanche control to lessen the likelihood of natural, unplanned snow slides. We attempt to schedule the control duties outside of peak travel times, but driver and crew safety are the first priority.

As of 3 p.m. today,

• I-90 is closed westbound for avalanche control. The roadway may reopen tonight.
• Avalanche control is scheduled from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. on US 2 Stevens Pass.
• In Eastern Region, roads closed as of 3 p.m. today include SR 23 from the town of Sprague (I-90) to Steptoe (US 195), SR 272 from Colfax to Palouse, SR 194 from Pullman to the Snake River (Almota) and SR 271 from Oakesdale to Rosalia (US 195) •SR 26 (Repp Rd. to Colfax), SR 127 (Dusty to Central Ferry), SR 27 (Pullman to Fairfield) and US 195 (Idaho Border (near Lewiston) are now open.

Know before you go:

• Get information from our Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ before you leave your home or office. After an early morning slowdown due to server problems, the Web site was fully restored before noon.
  
  •511 - This driver information phone line provides current traffic, incident and closure information. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388. Out-of-state callers can access the information at call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).
  
  •Mountain pass conditions are available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/.
  
  •At www.wsdot.wa.gov/winterdrivers can find WSDOT’s winter driving-related information, including preparing a vehicle for winter driving, safe driving tips and mountain pass travel advisories. The WSDOT winter site also offers information about chains, winter tires and how WSDOT maintenance crews work in winter weather.
  
  •On WSDOT’s Web site, www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather/ drivers can look at roadway temperatures and see camera images from across the state.
  
  •At www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/ a map shows highway incidents and closures.
  
  •Sign up for news. WSDOT offers subscribers more than 25 specialized e-mail alerts, including news and information for freight haulers, construction related traffic revisions, project updates from all around the state, and timely updates on pass conditions. Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ and click the link for "E-mail updates."
  
  •Twitter users can add WSDOT to their personal accounts at: http://twitter.com/wsdot/. Go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/inform/twitterfor more details.

On the Road:

• Overhead and roadside electronic signs
• Highway advisory radio - WSDOT advises drivers to program 530AM and 1610AM on your radio.

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/ or by dialing 5-1-1.

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