SR-971 Likely To Remain Closed Into April Due To Rockslide

It could be several more weeks before State Route 971 (SR-971) near Chelan is completely reopened.

A 2.4-mile section of the highway on South Lakeshore Road was shutdown in the early morning hours of March 3 after a large rockslide rendered the roadway impassable.

Less than 24 hours later, another slide came down in the same area, further covering the highway in large rocks and debris.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) says both slides occurred in an area that's become notorious for producing high-volume slides in recent years.

In addition to the 1400 yards of rubble which inundated the roadway, the slides also exposed several large boulders that are suspended approximately 60 feet above the road, creating even greater concerns for public safety.

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Over the past few weeks, the DOT's geotechnical team has coordinated with its regional road crews to assess the scene and come up with a possible solution for clearing the highway and mitigating the newly-exposed hazards.

DOT officials say the slopes above the roadway will require extensive scaling work to ensure safety, meaning contractors with specified skills and equipment must be used to address the area of concern.

The impending spring also means that conditions will not be optimal for rock scaling work, since thermal expansion - a natural process that causes rocks to loosen due to the combination of cold nights and warm days, is typical during the season and usually increases slide activity.

The DOT says the work is likely to cost millions of dollars to fully complete and will result in a shifting of priorities from other critical projects. A review of feasibility strategies to fund the work is already underway.

The slides have created a detour utilizing the non-impacted portion of SR-971 on Navarre Coulee Road which is adding significant travel times for school buses and residents in the affected zone.

The latest projections from the DOT indicate that SR-971 will almost certainly remain partially closed until sometime next month, and a more specific target date for reopening the road will be announced in the coming weeks once a plan is in place to both perform and fund the emergency work.