Work will impact Highway 97-A and SR 971/South Lakeshore Road
information compiled from WSDOT, LCN photo
Travelers along the Southshore and to/from Wenatchee will feel the impact of spring slope scaling projects in March and April. These projects are intended to stabilize six slopes that have a history of active rockfall on US 97A and SR 971/South Lakeshore Road with work beginning this week. Scarcella Bros. Inc. has been awarded this project with a bid of $1,909,090.
Five slopes with be addressed on SR 971/South Lakeshore Rd., east of Lake Chelan State Park between milepost 10.27 and 11.49.
Work began Monday, March 7 and the scaling operations on this section will require full closure of the road between milepost 10 and 11.64.
A local detour will be in place using US 97A and Navarre Coulee Rd. Work on SR 971 will take approximately 40 days to complete.
The exact reopening date will be dependent on work completed and weather conditions. A portable messaging sign is in place to provide timely updates.
On April 11, work will begin on 97A at milepost 211 south of Entiat. Traffic control in this area will be similar to last years schedule, with daytime closures between 8:15 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday, with 15-minute openings at the top of the hour to allow traffic to get through the work zone.
Washington State Department of Transportation recommends travelers between Chelan and Wenatchee use Highway 97 on the Douglas County side of the Columbia River as the alternate route while this work is underway.
Weekday closures on US 97A are scheduled for approximately 15 working days. Extended closures allow the contractor to complete more work and ensures safety of the traveling public. The contractor plans to remove nearly 15,000 cubic yards of material from the six slopes, as well as repair of wildlife fencing and pavement. Due to the nature of the work, snow or rain could cause delays.
Updates for the project will be shared on project webpage, the WSDOT real time travel map, and on Twitter at @WSDOT_East.
