State Highway 503 at the northeast end of Lake Merwin will remain closed through the spring due to an active and still potentially dangerous landslide above the roadway.
“It’s not the trees and debris, it’s the rock slab above the highway that’s going to come down one way or the other,” said Washington State Department of Transportation spokesman Bart Treece. “The hillside is still moving, and we don’t know what else is going to come down.”
Treece said some of the rocks poised to fall on the highway are extremely large, and at least one of them is about the size of a car.
The hillside gave way and blocked both lanes near Milepost 38 on Highway 503/Lewis River Road the morning of March 13.
It’s not clear when the road will reopen.
Because the slope is so unstable, WSDOT engineers haven’t had the opportunity to inspect the site. The agency is relying on aerial drones to evaluate and survey the slide.
WSDOT plans to monitor the slide for the next several weeks and incorporate new data into the upcoming contract to have the debris removed and hillside stabilized.
“We want to begin cleanup and repair work as soon as possible,” WSDOT project engineer Lori Figone said in a news release. “Once access is safe, we’ll have a clearer picture of the extent of the repair work and the timetable to get the job done.”
Drivers can use Yale Bridge Road as an alternate route, but there are weight restrictions in place for large trucks in place at the bridge.
“There’s a sign posted that shows the restrictions,” Treece said. “There are options for heavy loads to go across the Yale bridge, but we need folks to keep an eye on the weight restriction.”
