Project to slow summer traffic on Highway 112
By Brian Gawley, Peninsula Daily News
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"This one won't close the road, but Bill Riley said maybe it will require stopping traffic for a while," said Sande Balch, secretary of the Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway Association.
Riley is the maintenance and operations supervisor at the state Department of Transportation's Port Angeles office, which oversees Highway 112, which carries the scenic byway designation.
"So there's just going to be some delays, but those shouldn't be for a long period of time," Balch said.
With the work beginning today, the $2.6 million project is scheduled to finish by the first week of October.
The work will include installing guardrails, flattening slopes off the road, improving drainage and posting new warning signs.
It also will include installing flashing beacons to warn drivers of a sharp curve in the highway near Hoko-Ozette Road.
Flaggers and pilot cars
State Transportation spokesman Jamie Swift said several locations along the highway will have alternating traffic with flaggers and pilot cars, although he couldn't say where because there's no work plan yet.
"Drivers should just expect delays. Check our Web site weekly and call 5-1-1 for specific project locations," he said.
The Web site is located at www.wsdot.wa.gov. Click on the Olympic region of the map located on the lower left portion of the home page.
Then select "Weekly construction and traffic updates" located in the middle of the page.
"We don't expect anything too severe; there's no paving on this project," Swift said.
"The impetus is reducing the number and severity of run-off-the-road collisions.
"We'll be flattening slopes along the roadside to create recovery space and help vehicles stay upright," he said.
Summer season
Balch said if the Clallam Bay-Sekiu area is lucky enough to have both fish and a fishing season in the same year along with the summer festivals, there could be traffic backups along the highway.
If people driving motor homes know about these kinds of projects ahead of time, they can plan a different route, she said.
"But if you are going to Neah Bay or Sekiu, you've got to travel that last little section," Balch said.
"When you live in rain country, you have to do this work in the summer. I don't see any major impacts," she said.
"There's no road closures as there was with the Jim Creek project."
In September and October 2004, Highway 112 was shut down for six weeks about 20 miles west of Joyce for replacement of a fish culvert.
The project was moved to after Labor Day following complaints about closing highway during the tourist season.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-417-3532 or brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: May 26. 2008 9:00PM