OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Four-hour delays around Lake Crescent, which were expected to begin Monday, remain on hold, according to Olympic National Park.
Permitting is not yet in place to complete work needed below the ordinary high water mark of Lake Crescent near milepost 229, said Penny Wagner, park spokesperson, on Friday.
The overall timeline for the completion of the Highway 101 project remains the same, Wagner said.
The work involves constructing a mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall to restore the roadway width and shoulder area in front of the rock wall in that location.
The park is working with the Federal Highway Administration to obtain the necessary permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The original plan to restore the roadway did not require in-water work, Wagner said. However, earlier this spring, gabion basket structures that retained the road prism failed. These changes in conditions required a change in design and thus in permitting.
This week, drivers should continue to expect half-hour delays as guardrail replacement progresses on the east end of the project between milepost 232 at East Beach Road and milepost 229, Wagner said. A pilot car will guide traffic within work areas with alternating lanes.
Work hours are restricted to two hours after sunrise to two hours before sunset.
Once four-delays begin, they will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays for several weeks. The long delays are not permitted during the busy summer season between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
During the four-hour delays, the highway for drivers traveling eastbound from Forks will be open to the turn for Barnes Point, where Lake Crescent Lodge is located. Highway 101 westbound from Port Angeles will remain open up to mile marker 232/East Beach Road. Travelers to and from the western side of the North Olympic Peninsula can use state Highway 112/113 as an alternate route during the delay.
For project updates, see go.nps.gov/LCHwy101 Project.
