The highway leading to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument will reopen all the way to the end this weekend.
Starting on Saturday, motorists on state Highway 504, also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, will be able to travel past Coldwater Lake and up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
Every year, ice and snow force the Washington State Department of Transportation to close the upper portion of the highway.
During this year’s closure, crews with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repair the Spirit Lake drainage tunnel that runs beneath the highway.
This summer, visitors planning to visit the volcano will need to plan for potential delays due to a 34-mile paving project planned for Highway 504 between Kid Valley Road and the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The dates of construction will be announced later.
