Celeste Dimichina, communications, 360-905-2057

CARSON – Travelers who use State Route 14 near Carson may experience delays with the start of work to improve the stability of two roadside slopes.

On Monday, Sept. 21, Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor Geo-stabilization International, LLC, will begin work to stabilize two separate slopes located alongside SR 14, just west of Wind River Road, in Skamania County.

“In December 2013 a large rock approximately 3 feet in size fell from the slope, striking the jersey barrier and breaking into several pieces that blocked both lanes of the roadway,” said project engineer Mike Briggs. “While we know construction travel delays can be frustrating, this project will improve the safety of the public by limiting these types of rock fall events and related emergency travel delays.” 

Crews will perform debris and tree removal, rock scaling, and installation of rock dowels into the hillside to secure the face of the rock slopes. Once the rock dowels are in place, crews will add a layer of shotcrete against the surface of the slope. Shotcrete is a concrete material applied to cracks and fissures to prevent loose materials and rocks from falling, which adds an extra layer of stability to the slope.

What travelers can expect during construction

• Travelers on both directions of SR 14 near Carson should expect daytime, single lane closures for the duration of the project.  
• In late Sept., travelers on both directions of SR 14 near Carson should expect daytime, full roadway closures of about 45 minutes in duration from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for rock scaling work.
  • Closures will begin at the top of each hour, with a 15-minute window to clear stacked up traffic on either side of the closure.
• Use caution and lower speeds through the work zone.

This $1.8 million dollar project is scheduled for completion this fall.