The North Cascades Highway had one of its earliest temporary closures on Sunday (Oct. 22) after an early season snowstorm sent several slides across the highway. Crews were clearing the slides Tuesday (Oct. 24) and expected the road to reopen Wednesday morning (Oct. 25). The largest of six slides was below Liberty Bell Mountain, where […]
Washington State Department of Transportation
TranGO resumes route over Hwy 20
TranGO, the Okanogan County public transit system, will resume its Twisp-Okanogan connector route on Thursday (July 20) now that Highway 20 over Loup Loup Pass is once again open to traffic 24 hours a day. The Omak-to-Pateros express route will end Thursday, as will TranGO’s additional fifth run on the Twisp to Pateros route. TranGO had […]
Loup Loup Pass re-opened
After being closed for three months to repair damage from mudslides and erosion, Highway 20 over Loup Loup Pass partially opened on Monday (July 10), with one lane of traffic through the two most-damaged locations for a few hours in the morning and evening.
The partial opening allowed commuters between …
SR 20/North Cascades Highway reopening planned for May 16
REPRINTED FROM WSDOT: Warmer weather helped crews speed up the initial June estimate DIABLO – It seemed like the winter weather might never end after record rain and snow pounded the state and delayed the reopening of State Route 20/North Cascades Highway. Finally, warmer temperatures, warm rain and sun arrived and should allow crews to […]
Twisp delays airport taxiway project to apply for more state funds
A project to build a new taxiway at the Twisp Municipal Airport will be delayed until 2020 to take advantage of new state grant opportunities, the Twisp council decided recently.
Town officials had been planning to apply for a $250,000 grant from Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) this …
Mid-May goal for Highway 20 repairs over the Loup
Highway 20 over Loup Loup Pass is expected to remain closed until at least mid-May, while contractors repair damage from erosion and mudslides that forced the closure of a 16-mile stretch of the highway earlier this month.
On Highway 20 over the North Cascades …
Highway 20 closures leave valley with only one way in and out
For brief periods earlier this month, the Methow Valley was left with no way in or out after mudslides and flooding made highways impassable.
The valley was isolated only temporarily, but access remains problematic with Highway 20 buried under snow over the North Cascades and under extensive repairs over Loup Loup Pass for several weeks.
WSDOT planning repairs to four Hwy. 153 bridges
By Don Nelson The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is working on plans for rebuilding the supporting columns on four bridges over the Methow River on Highway 153 this summer. The “structure rehabilitation project” will affect bridges at mileposts 13.45, 15.51, 16.85 and 18.91. The last two are at the north and south entrances […]
Winthrop’s pedestrian underpass project gets additional funding
The funding gap for completion of a pedestrian underpass below the Chewuch River Bridge has been closed and the project now has enough financial support to move forward, Winthrop Town Planner Rocklynn Culp reported to the town council last week.
In a memo to the council, Culp said that …
Winthrop council reluctantly extends contract for bridge underpass
Resolution 2016-37, a simple agenda item that started out as “necessary paperwork” for design of a pedestrian underpass below the Chewuch River bridge in Winthrop, grew into an extended discussion at last week’s Winthrop Town Council meeting.
Council members were vehemently unhappy with, but ultimately resigned to, unanticipated design requirements by the Washington State …