Date:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Contact:
Sam Arola, WSDOT Maintenance, 360-442-1342 (Kelso)
Annie Linstrom, WSDOT Communications, 360-905-2079 (Vancouver)
Crews clear six feet of snow in time for Mount St. Helens 30th anniversary
COUGAR – The scenic byway, also known as Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, will open just in time for visitors to tour Mount St. Helens for the 30th anniversary of its eruption. WSDOT crews are working hard this week to clear SR 504 of late spring snow, and plan to reopen the highway east of Hummocks Trailhead (milepost 45) at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 15.
WSDOT expects a heavy increase in traffic on the highway during the anniversary celebration and throughout the summer. Nearly 30 years ago, the area SR 504 runs through today would have been buried under hundreds of feet of ash after Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980.
The highway has been closed since mid-December 2009 due to heavy snowfall. WSDOT closes this section of SR 504 each year due to hazardous snow conditions and the possibility of avalanches. The roadway reopens in the spring when weather conditions improve.
Weather forecasts after reopening the highway call for showers and snow levels above 3,500 feet. The Johnston Ridge Observatory is located just above 4,000 feet. Snow accumulation in the south Washington Cascades is not unusual this time of year, and drivers on SR 504 should be prepared for winter driving conditions.
For information about the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, please visit: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/.
For weekly updates on this and other traffic information in the region, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthWest/Construction.
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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 http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/newsfor pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/trafficor by dialing 5-1-1.
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