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HWY 20 UPDATE
19 Apr 2006 11:38 #175063
by Tophervw
HWY 20 UPDATE was created by Tophervw
For those intersted: 
From:
@wsdot.wa.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 10:48 AM
To: WSDOT Communicators
Subject: NCHighway Update
Good weather has both helped and hindered the clearing effort this week. Warmer weather and no more precipitation after the new snow over the weekend, has sped up the progress while the crews can work, but the warm also increases the avalanche danger and slows progress below those chutes or dumps snow onto sections of the highway that had been previously cleared.
The East and West crews expect to meet on Monday. Right now, the eastside crews have the road cleared, shoulder to shoulder, to Washington Pass. They've got a single cut to about Blue Lake at MP 161. The crew on the west side has a cut through to about Bridge Creek at MP 158. The snow in the three miles in between is about nine feet deep and is very heavy after compacting all winter coupled with the melting brought about with warmer temperatures.
The forecast for next week calls for perhaps even warmer temperatures that will elevate the avalanche danger further.
One of the two caterpillars that WSDOT had contracted to help was released on Tuesday. The other big cat was sent over to assist the west side clearing effort for a couple days and is being loaded onto the low boy at Washington Pass to take it back to Twisp today.
Based upon the speed that work has been progressing, so far, and the long range weather forecast, the tentative reopening date and time is Noon, Monday, May 1st. Unexpected snow, stubborn avalanche chutes and equipment breakdowns could all affect that, but Don Becker, our WSDOT Supervisor in Twisp, is optimistic they can make that date. At the same time, he says the chances that the opening could happen any earlier isn't very likely, at all.
Communications Manager
WSDOT North Central Region
From:
@wsdot.wa.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 10:48 AM
To: WSDOT Communicators
Subject: NCHighway Update
Good weather has both helped and hindered the clearing effort this week. Warmer weather and no more precipitation after the new snow over the weekend, has sped up the progress while the crews can work, but the warm also increases the avalanche danger and slows progress below those chutes or dumps snow onto sections of the highway that had been previously cleared.
The East and West crews expect to meet on Monday. Right now, the eastside crews have the road cleared, shoulder to shoulder, to Washington Pass. They've got a single cut to about Blue Lake at MP 161. The crew on the west side has a cut through to about Bridge Creek at MP 158. The snow in the three miles in between is about nine feet deep and is very heavy after compacting all winter coupled with the melting brought about with warmer temperatures.
The forecast for next week calls for perhaps even warmer temperatures that will elevate the avalanche danger further.
One of the two caterpillars that WSDOT had contracted to help was released on Tuesday. The other big cat was sent over to assist the west side clearing effort for a couple days and is being loaded onto the low boy at Washington Pass to take it back to Twisp today.
Based upon the speed that work has been progressing, so far, and the long range weather forecast, the tentative reopening date and time is Noon, Monday, May 1st. Unexpected snow, stubborn avalanche chutes and equipment breakdowns could all affect that, but Don Becker, our WSDOT Supervisor in Twisp, is optimistic they can make that date. At the same time, he says the chances that the opening could happen any earlier isn't very likely, at all.
Communications Manager
WSDOT North Central Region
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