UPDATE: Highway 30 to North Oregon Coast and Astoria Latest

Published 12/03/22 at 5:29 AM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Astoria, Oregon) – Near the north Oregon coast, U.S. 30 remains closed this weekend due to landslide repairs being done about 20 miles east of Astoria. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said major hazards remain and crews are hoping to get at least one lane safely open, however that won't happen until sometime after the weekend is over.

When one lane is available, travel through will be utilizing flaggers to direct traffic. Lanes closer to the hillside are still being rigorously worked on and the area remains filled with dangers. ODOT was unable to clear debris and other repairs on Friday as they had originally hoped, so efforts continue through the weekend on this winding stretch to the Oregon coast.

“If you plan to travel between the Portland Metro Area and the Northern Oregon Coast in the next few days, including this weekend, please use an alternate route,” ODOT said.

U.S. 26 is still the best alternative. OR 47 and 202 are an option for passenger vehicles, but commercial vehicles will encounter length restrictions on OR 47.

ODOT urged the public to not use GPS to find detours on undeveloped roads. As some severe weather situations have settled into the Oregon Coast Range passes, such rough roads pose many more dangers than usual.

The slide began Tuesday about 10:30 a.m. in a section that was about 100 feet above the road, as heavy rains and strong winds ruffled trees with deep roots in the storm-soaked soil as well as rocky sections. ODOT said the slide involved more than 1,800 cubic yards of rock spilling onto the highway at a width of about 110 feet.

So far, ODOT said it has removed some debris from the highway. A commercial truck stuck in the piles of rock and soil has been removed, but as of Thursday it still needed to be towed. In the meantime, an ODOT geologist discovered two large sections of the hillside that could break apart again, and these would create another extremely dangerous situation if they were to slide.

This is one of the big elements of work that needs to be done even before one lane can open.

All debris from the surface of at least one lane will have to be cleared before even one-lane traffic is allowed, along with enough space for crews to safely work on the project as well as catch any other small rockslides that come through.

Some of the pavement is damaged, and those spots will require repair before they can set up one lane with flaggers.

You can find more updates at TripCheck.com. MORE ASTORIA BELOW

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