OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Crews will resurface U.S. Highway 101 around Lake Crescent, repave roads within the Hoh Rain Forest and begin restoring the Graves Creek Road in the Quinault Valley this summer.
Weather permitting, reconstruction of the Graves Creek Road — which has been closed to vehicles since a storm in 2007 damaged it in several places — will begin July 20, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman.
Resurfacing of Hoh Rain Forest roads will start July 27, she said, while resurfacing of the 12.3 miles of highway around Lake Crescent will begin sometime in August.
Delays and temporary road and campground closures are expected, she said.
Lake Crescent
Specific dates in August have not been set for the two weeks of work to resurface Highway 101 around Lake Crescent.
During repaving, the highway will be restricted to one lane in work zones, with delays of up to 20 minutes expected.
Work will occur only on weekdays and not on holidays.
The Lake Crescent project, which is part of a multi-park road maintenance project managed by the Federal Highways Administration, has not been let out for bid, and Maynes said she does not have figures on the cost.
Hoh Rain Forest
Hoh Rain Forest work — which is expected to take two weeks, with crews working only on weekdays — will be on the 6-mile section of the Upper Hoh Road within the park boundary, the visitor center parking area, campground loop roads and parking pads, parking pullouts and administrative area roadways.
The $591,000 project was awarded to Doolittle Holdings Inc. of Bellevue.
Drivers may find delays of up to 20 minutes on the Upper Hoh Road.
The Hoh Rain Forest campground will be closed for up to 24 hours beginning at 11 a.m. July 27 while crews resurface the campground roads and parking pads.
The campground will close again for 24 hours at 11 a.m. Aug. 3 to allow crews to apply sealant to the new road surface.
All campers must vacate the campground during the two 24-hour closures.
Nearby campgrounds along the Upper Hoh Road include the Minnie Peterson and Willoughby Creek campgrounds, both operated by the state Department of Natural Resources.
Graves Creek Road
The Graves Creek Road, which was damaged in several areas during a storm in December 2007, has been open for bicycles, stock and pedestrian use since April 2008, but it will close to both bicycles and stock July 20 for road reconstruction.
The Quinault area roads repairs — which include work on Graves Creek and South Shore Roads — will be done by Quigg Brothers Inc. of Aberdeen at a cost of $832,270.
Hikers interested in using the East Fork Quinault Trail are urged to finish their hikes before then or choose a different route after that date.
Between July 20 and Oct. 30, hikers will encounter construction equipment and delays along the road.
The Graves Creek Road is scheduled to reopen to vehicles Nov. 1.
For wilderness travel information, including alternatives to the East Fork Quinault Trail and current trail condition reports, check the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/olym/planyour visit/wilderness-trip- planner.htm or contact the park’s Wilderness Information Center at 360-565-3100.
