Chinook Pass before May 26

toyota4x4matt · Apr 17, 2006

April 2006
WSDOT works to open Chinook Pass before May 26.

WSDOT will conduct a snowpack inspection on Chinook Pass in early April to determine what, if any, avalanche control work is needed prior to snow removal in anticipation of opening the pass by May 26. Based on a preliminary visit to the pass by WSDOT maintenance personnel March 27, control work in the retaining wall and tunnel areas above SR 123 is possible.

During snow removal, engineers will assess the repair work remaining east of the summit near the scenic viewpoint, where a washout damaged the pavement and guardrail in 2005. Repairs will begin in late April, and are expected to be complete in less than a month. WSDOT works to have the pass open to traffic before the Memorial Day holiday each year.

Snowfall and winter driving conditions can occur at Chinook Pass (elevation 5,430 ft) throughout the month of May. Avalanche and control work closures remain a possibility during and after storm events. Please be prepared for winter driving conditions. Motorists are advised to watch for work crews and fallen rocks crews on the roadway.

Chinook Pass is designated as an All American Road and is an entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Tipsoo Lake, at the summit of Chinook Pass, is one of the most photographed landscapes in the U.S.

This section of SR 410 is closed annually; the closure typically happens between late November and May. A five-mile stretch, just east of the summit, is cut along the side of an avalanche area that makes it too dangerous to keep open during the snowy winter months. The annual closure area lies between two gates; the west gate at the intersection of SR 410 and SR 123, and the east gate on SR 410 at Morse Creek, 6 miles east of the summit.

For more information contact:
Mike Westbay westbam@wsdot.wa.gov
509-577-1617

Mark Ettesvold ettesvm@wsdot.wa.gov
509-577-1618

toyota4x4matt · Apr 17, 2006

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Passes/Chinook/

crash2 · Apr 17, 2006

Ya--good luck. The last big snowfall which is not near what we have now and it was opened like 2 weeks after memorial weekend...

toyota4x4matt · May 22, 2006

Barring unforeseen circumstances, WSDOT intends to open Chinook Pass at noon on Thursday, May 25. This site will be updated quickly should the opening schedule change.

Snow-clearing crews are finishing up the snow removal on the west slope; guardrail repairs, sign replacement, and lane striping work make up the remaining tasks prior to opening the pass.

A WSDOT contactor has repaired the damage to a section of roadway from a 2005 washout. Crews are replacing damaged guardrail, signs and reflectors along SR 410 near the pass, where natural avalanches have bent or swept away the markers. WSDOT is still aiming to have all repairs completed and the pass open before Memorial Day.

Workers are using two dozers, two snow blowers, and a large front-end loader to remove snow in a coordinated effort. A first dozer aided by GPS equipment, called a pioneering dozer, moves ahead of the blowers, locating the roadway and side-casting snow down to a depth of six feet; any lower runs the risk of damage to guardrails and rock walls. The second dozer then carefully pushes the remaining snow to the roadway for removal by the blowers. This painstaking procedure also reveals any trees, boulders, and other debris for the loader to remove prior to blowing.

Snowfall and winter driving conditions can occur at Chinook Pass (elevation 5,430 ft) through the end of May. Avalanche and control work closures remain a possibility during and after storm events. Please be prepared for winter driving conditions. Motorists are advised to watch for work crews and fallen rocks on the roadway.