Showing posts with label emergency operations. Show all posts

US 12 over White Pass to reopen this weekend

Posted by Unknown in , , , , on Thursday, October 3, 2013

by guest blogger Meagan McFadden

It’s been a long couple of days on US 12 near White Pass after a 500-foot section of the roadway that washed out and closed a 45 mile stretch from Naches to Packwood. We're now happy to report that a single lane will open at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4.



Drivers will notice a signal light that will direct alternating single-lane traffic through a quarter-mile area just east of White Pass. If you plan a trip, expect some minor delays through the single-lane detour. Unfortunately, the roadway will remain closed to those driving oversized loads - just can’t have you driving through there, yet. 


Aerial view of the slide

Governor Inslee signed an emergency proclamation on Thursday, Oct. 3 which give us and local agencies the green light to pursue federal emergency relief funds for the fix. 

We already have an emergency contractor on board, DBM Inc., of Federal Way, who is working with us to develop a temporary fix so we can get this section back open to two before winter.


Last week’s rain storms are to blame for the severe erosion that closed the roadway Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Currently, US 12 remains closed to from just west of Naches at milepost 183, to just east of Packwood at milepost 138. Truckers and other commercial vehicles are not allowed past these closure points. Locals going west can get to recreational areas  and businesses along US 12 up to the west end near of Rimrock Lake and those going east can get up  to the summit of White Pass.



Until we get a single-lane open, you will need to use SR 410 andSR 123 as an alternate route. Remember these routes don’t allow oversized loads, and it's already had a dusting of snow earlier this week, so please be prepared for winter driving.

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Snow fighting: an insider’s look

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , on Thursday, January 26, 2012

by guest blogger Jamie Holter

I love snow storms in Puget Sound.

Food Supply in the EOC
I love being in the stinky Emergency Operations Center in Shoreline with a flat of Costco muffins, Pirate Booty and satsumas.
Charlies Angels radio in the EOC
I love watching four news channels over different parts of the snow storm. Our maintenance crews planning their attack on snowy and icy roads, overheard on the
world’s oldest Charlie’s Angels two-way radio.  I love taking calls from staff reporting for duty who say, “When do you need me, just let me know.” 

Monitoring television coverage

Our Emergency Operations Center had been active since Saturday.  A storm manager on with King County, the National Weather Service and doing interviews; a traffic engineer tracking cameras and collisions, another person who’s tracking collisions just involving buses and large trucks . Those vehicles that cause the biggest problems.  Everyone is at the top of their game, except for the moments when they are mugging for the camera.

The traffic management center, the nerve center for operations in Puget Sound, has more staff tracking traffic, putting up information on overhead signs, talking with crews in the field and dispatching teams to trees down, icy spots on the roads or helping State Patrol.

Staff Monitoring Twitter
Then, of course, the public information corner: the kings of @wsdot_traffic. Their clever and informative tweets retweeted to thousands…when they aren’t putting together videos and taking pictures of our workers. They tell me they love their job. I know they do.

Snow and ice is always scary and I’m proud that my job involves helping people stay on top of road and weather conditions even if we’re just stuck in a building and not on the roads like our Highway Heroes who do the heavy lifting. The folks I work with are top-notch, dedicated public servants. We can’t make Mother Nature change course, but we are here to help you get where you
Crews on roadway
need to go when she’s busy breaking Seattle snow records.

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