Motorists travelling on Highway 26 from Rhododendron to Government Camp
can expect blasting delays two or three times a week to continue through
August as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) “U.S. 26
Mt. Hood Highway Safety and Preservation Project,” according to Kerry
Kuenzi, President of K&E Excavating, the project’s contractor. Kuenzi noted
the blastings have been successful to this point, with approximately 19,000
cubic yards of rock removed so far.

Kuenzi added he expected a total of 150,000 cubic
yards of rock to be removed during the project, with all rock
removed to be recycled. Blasting for the project will result in road closures of
up to one hour between 5:30-7:30 p.m. on up to three days per week from
Monday through Thursday, while motorists can expect flagging and traffic
reduced to one lane to continue, as well. Kuenzi noted that safety during the
project’s construction, which will expand the highway and add a 1.6-mile
concrete median barrier to prevent crossover accidents, has been a strong
point. That includes a number of shipping containers installed to prevent
debris from reaching the road, which has performed as expected, and
travellers who have followed the instructions from flaggers.

“We do appreciate mthe traffic; most of the time, people have patience,” he added.

Kimberly Dinwiddie, ODOT Community Affairs, added the containers will remain in
place, after they were expected to be removed on May 21. “If we take those
away, we’re going to see longer delays, close highways for 20 minutes at a
time to bring materials down,” Dinwiddie said. Kuenzi reported that 150,000
cubic yards of total material have already been removed from the slopes, with
a total of 83 truckloads to take the material to various sites. One dump site up
Lolo Pass Road is close to being filled (likely in June), while another up Lolo
Pass is expected to be utilized throughout the summer. Another site near
Trillium Lake is expected to be utilized this summer and into next year.

Dinwiddie noted that work is expected to ramp up this summer, including
longer days of work and work performed on Saturdays. According to Kuenzi,
70 people are working on the project during work hours, and that number is
expected to rise as the work increases. Dinwiddie added that it is important
for people to follow the instructions from flaggers and to be patient during
delays. “We’re committed to getting people to their favorite destinations on
the mountain, but there will be delays,” Dinwiddie said. “Your life is worth so
much more than being delayed for a few minutes.” The project’s website,
us26mthoodsafety.org, is updated weekly or as needed, while motorists can
also visit tripcheck.com for the latest traffic information.