Washington State Department of Transportation contractors are repairing a culvert that failed and washed out on the state Route 503 Spur on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Repair to the culvert began Thursday, Dec. 14. According to a press release, contractors will stabilize the slope, install a new culvert and rebuild the waterway near Cougar in Cowlitz County. The repair is planned to reestablish two-lane access on the road, a release by the Washington State Department of Transportation stated.
During the work, people may experience intermittent delays up to 20 minutes and should plan for extra travel time and slow down through the work zone and look for flaggers. Freight restrictions will remain in place until the two-lane roadway is restored, according to the release.
“We recognize that state Route 503 Spur is the primary roadway, and depending on the season, the only way in and out of Cougar,” said WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator for Development and Delivery Devin Reck in the news release. “Reestablishing a safe and reliable connection for all roadway users is our top priority.”
During an atmospheric river, a culvert failure from the overwhelming rainfall caused the closure of the state Route 503 Spur at milepost 35.7 on Dec. 5. Later that afternoon the eastbound lane of the highway eroded and washed away, the release stated.
On Thursday, Dec. 7, one lane was reopened at the location to allow traffic to alternate in each direction. But truck traffic has been prohibited to prevent further damage to the roadway.
WSDOT does not have a timeline for the two-lane roadway to be fully restored during the 30-day contract, according to the release.
