97-A Rock Slope Scaling Project on Hiatus

Information released by WSDOT

In order to comply with the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” proclamation and ensure the safety and well-being of the people working on Washington State Department of Transportation projects and their families, WSDOT is temporarily suspending all construction projects.  This delays the start date for this project and the associated day long closures scheduled to begin on April 6.  An updated schedule has not yet been created and there is no confirmed start date at this time.

This project was awarded to Strider Construction on Jan. 14, 2020 for $660,265.20.  An open house for this project was held on August 14, 2019 at the Chelan City Hall and the Entiat Grange Hall on August 20.  The purpose of the outreach events was to receive input regarding travelling needs on US 97A and SR 971, and how different closure times required to complete the work will affect the public.

Needs & benefits

Slope instability is a category of natural hazard that refers to the movement of a soil or rock mass under the influence of gravity, leading to slides and falling rocks.  Rock falls can occur on both natural and excavated slopes and are caused by a combination of influences, including weather.  WSDOT’s unstable slope management program is a proactive infrastructure-preservation program.

To reduce the risks of the adverse effects of unstable slopes to our highway system in a cost-effective manner, this project will remove loose, unstable rock from slopes adjacent to the US 97A roadway.  The slopes that have been identified for this work have chronic rock fall problems with rocks reaching the highway numerous times a year, which requires maintenance call out and unplanned repairs, as well as represents a significant risk to the traveling public.