Project overview
Several sections along State Route 14 had a history of recurring rockfall activity above the roadway. To help reduce future potential rockfall activity and improve safety for travelers, in summer 2021, our contractor, James Dean Construction, Inc., began work to stabilize the slope located on the north side of SR 14, 1.7 miles east of Bingen, between milepost 68.75 and 68.87, in Klickitat County.
What to expect
During construction travelers experienced weekday, daytime, alternating single and double lane closures throughout the duration of the project, with delays of up to 20 minutes.
During rock scaling work, crews closed both directions of SR 14 for 45 minutes at the beginning of each hour. Both lanes of the highway were reopened once an hour to provide a minimum of 15 minutes to clear traffic. Rock scaling work took place on weekdays, during daylight hours.
Several sections along State Route 14 had a history of reoccurring rockfall activity above the roadway. To help reduce future potential rockfall activity and improve safety for travelers, our contractor, James Dean Construction, Inc., worked to stabilize the slope located on the north side of State Route 14, 1.7 miles east of Bingen, between milepost 68.75 and 68.87, in Klickitat County.
In January 2007, approximately 500 cubic yards of rock and debris fell onto the roadway, halting travel in both directions. Winter weather often brought heavy wind and rain, increasing the likelihood of rockfall activity, which could force the closure of the highway until maintenance crews could clear rocks and debris. To reduce the potential for emergency highway closures, contractor crews removed unstable sections of rock from the slope face adjacent to SR 14 and built a catch basin within the ditch line.
Crews lined the catch basin with energy-absorbing materials to help contain rockfall from this slope, reducing the amount of rock and debris that fell onto the roadway.
The end result:
- Safety: Stabilizing the slope improved safety for travelers by reducing the potential for rocks and debris to fall onto the highway.
- Cost: Removing loose rock and debris reduced the potential for costly maintenance repairs to the roadway as well as the need for extended emergency road closures and travel delays.
