By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch A rural stretch of State Route 7 that was shut down last year by mudslides will be partially closed late this summer and into the fall, but this time intentionally and for better things down the road. Work is tentatively scheduled to begin before the end of August on a rock wall that the state Department of Transportation (DOT) hopes will stabilize a hillside near Ohop Valley Road. Two slides in March and April 2014 sent mud, dirt and rocks onto the highway, forcing DOT to close it twice for about a week combined while crews removed debris and waited to see if more slides occurred. No injuries were reported in either incident, but the closures disrupted traffic west of Eatonville and caused detours. For the work that's coming up, drivers can expect a single-lane closure controlled by a signal 24 hours a day, seven days a week, officials said. Once construction begins, the project is expected to take-áabout six weeks-áto complete, weather permitting, and be done by the end of October. Claudia Bingham Baker, a DOT spokeswoman, said a contract for the project has been awarded to contractor Scarsella Brothers. Starting Aug. 25, DOT will reduce the speed limit where the work is scheduled. The current limit of 50 miles per hour will temporarily become 35 and 25 in separate portions of the highway. The lower speeds will help driver prepare to stop at a temporary signal controlling the one-way alternating traffic. Bingham said the lower speeds will be in effect 24 hours a day until the project is complete. The state secured funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to rebuild the slide-prone area. Crews will excavate and remove-áabout 3,800 cubic yards of earth and other material from the hillside and replace it in with 2,500 tons of large quarry rocks. Keeping the slope in place will keep motorists safe and moving and also save money and time that has been spent almost annually clearing the highway of slides that are common during rainy seasons, DOT officials said.
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