OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Road work is on hiatus this weekend on U.S. Highway 101 around Lake Crescent, but it will resume in earnest Tuesday.
Over the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend, travelers around Lake Crescent will encounter no road work or traffic signals, said Penny Wagner, Olympic National Park spokeswoman.
“The construction crew is working to get the road ready for two-lane traffic this weekend and will remove the traffic signals to ease traffic congestion for drivers,” she said.
Road work will resume Tuesday morning and drivers should expect a half-hour total stop time through the 12-mile project area during weekday work hours. Flagers and heavy truck traffic are likely through the construction zone.
Paving is scheduled for the area around the Lake Crescent Road/Barnes Point intersection for Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the westbound lane at this intersection will be paved and travelers leaving from or headed to Lake Crescent Lodge, NatureBridge or the trailheads should plan ahead and arrive or leave prior to noon or after 3 p.m., Wagner said.
Otherwise, travelers should be prepared for a 30-45 minute delay to enter or exit this area sometime between noon and 3 p.m. once the paving begins at the intersection.
Access to Lake Crescent Lodge, NatureBridge and the trailheads will be unavailable during this 30-45 minute delay to accommodate the paving work and to allow the necessary curing time before vehicles can drive over the fresh pavement.
Through traffic on Highway 101 on Tuesday and Wednesday will encounter a delay in this area for alternating single-lane traffic.
Until Sept. 21, work is restricted to two hours after sunrise to two hours before sunset.
“Currently, traveling through the work zone before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. can help travelers avoid the half-hour delays,” Wagner said.
Strider Construction Inc. of Bellingham is in its second of three seasons of work to rehabilitate 12 miles of the highway around Lake Crescent in a project costing $27.5 million. Construction seasons are from March through mid-November.
For more information, see http://tinyurl.com/PDN-101delays.
