Construction work on Hwy. 26 during July will focus on preparations for
tentatively paving the road in August, according to Kimberly Dinwiddie,
Oregon Department of Transportation Community Affairs.

Workers restriped the highway in late June, moving traffic to the south side,
while causing some long delays.

“That allowed us to have more room on the north side and we’re continuing to
do our excavation on the north side of Highway 26 to later put in the concrete
barrier,” Dinwiddie said.

Dinwiddie added that paving dates in August are not set, but completing the
paving should take three to four weeks.

By late June, workers had placed 25,800 blocks out of a total of 44,500 as
part of a retaining wall located above the Pioneer Bridle Trail. Each block is
eight inches tall and 18 inches wide, with the wall varying in height between
three and 20 feet.

Dinwiddie also noted that workers are expected to finish up the Map Curve
area of the project in early July, including completing the installation of all
rock bolts to secure the banks. The “U.S. 26 Mt. Hood Highway Safety and
Preservation Project,” which will expand the highway and add a 1.6-mile
concrete median barrier to prevent crossover accidents, is still scheduled to be
completed this fall.

Workers are on two shifts this summer, a day shift and a swing shift, with
most of them staying on the mountain during the week and going home for
the weekends, according to Dinwiddie.

For more information, please visit us26mthoodsafety.org and tripcheck.com.