Rehabilitation of 10 miles of Stevens Canyon Road Resumes May 24, 2013

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-Authored by the NPS-
On Friday, May 24 work will resume on rehabilitation of 10 miles of Stevens Canyon Road in Mount Rainier National Park according to park Superintendent Randy King and officials from the Federal Highway Administration’s Western Federal Lands Highway Division. This will be the second and final season of road rehabilitation effort that begun last summer by Tucci and Sons, Inc. of Tacoma that was awarded the contract for $8,910,093.

This season the contractor will focus on drainage improvements, repair/stabilization and reconstruction of historic rock retaining walls, localized milling and leveling of the existing asphalt surface and resurfacing with new hot-mix asphalt. Work also includes minor repair of two road tunnels west of Box Canyon.  At this time visitors should again anticipate maximum 20 minute delays through each segment Mondays through Fridays until project completion, scheduled for mid-September.

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Stevens Canyon Road connects the east and west side of the park, extending for 19 miles from SR 123 at the east end to intersection with the Nisqually to Paradise Road at the west end, two miles south of Paradise. Visitors wishing to avoid delays are encouraged to access the Paradise area from the southwest via the Nisqually Entrance at the east end of SR 706.  Visitors traveling from the east via SR 410, SR 123, and/or US 12 who wish to visit the Paradise area are encouraged to seek alternate routes.   Bicyclists are strongly encouraged to avoid Stevens Canyon Road this summer due to frequent construction delays and need for escorted traffic through specific areas. Those who do choose to bicycle or ride motorcycles on this road should take extra care in maintaining slower than normal speeds as loose gravel and/or tack oil surfaces will be encountered throughout the construction areas.   

While the construction and associated traffic delays present an inconvenience, the rehabilitation work will not only improve the driving surface of the roadway, but ensure its longevity.

-NPS-

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