Date:  Friday, January 09, 2009

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

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OLYMPIA - Floodwaters are subsiding in many areas and WSDOT continues working toward opening vital freight and travel routes across the state.

As of 4:30 a.m., 68 sections of state highway have reopened. There are 49 sections still closed and 18 restricted. I-5 through Lewis County and I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass remain closed at this hour. I-90 remains closed from milepost 33 near North Bend to milepost 106 near Ellensburg. WSDOT will assess I-90 roadway conditions later this morning and we are hopeful to open the pass this afternoon. WSDOT and emergency contractor crew Scarsella Brothers are working around the clock to redirect water into ditches, as well as remove snow and debris from the roadway and strengthen damaged shoulders. There are still areas of water on the roadway.

Crews will also be out assessing the flood situation on I-5 early today. I-5 remains closed from exit 68 (11 miles south of Chehalis) to exit 88 (about 20 miles south of Olympia). Water has begun to recede on the highway, but crews need to assess highway conditions as well as levels at the Airport Road dike during daylight hours.

US 2 has reopened to traffic after a two day closure caused by flooding and avalanche danger. The pass reopened at approximately 4:00 p.m. Thursday.

US 12 White Pass is not a viable east-west route at this time due to flooding at Randle (mile post 116) and a large washout near Glenoma (mile post 108) There is currently no access to a viable detour via US 12. To avoid trucks stacking up where there is limited parking, WSDOT is holding westbound commercial vehicles at Naches. WSDOT has cleared multiple mudslides on US 12 between Packwood in Lewis County (mile post 131) and Naches (mile post 189) in Yakima County. WSDOT is allowing local traffic only to travel in both directions within this previously closed area.

Due to extreme weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak service throughout portions of the region continues to be disrupted through Saturday, January 10.

Route information is available at the WSDOT web site, www.wsdot.wa.gov and drivers are encouraged to check conditions along their entire route. WSDOT has established a county-by-county list of road closures at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/news/update/. 


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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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