Slope stabilization work starts Monday

The Washington State Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to stabilize a slope just east of Stella at Milepost 50.9 on SR 4.

DOT engineer Denys Tak said March 6 that WSDOT has awarded contract to Wilder Construction Company of Bellingham. The company hopes to start work by March 19, if not sooner, Tak said.

The department has been negotiating easements with property owners in the area, and there are issues that are not resolved, but the department wants to start work as soon as possible because of safety concerns.

"I'm not sure how much longer we can delay," he said.

Crews have installed temporary fencing and a portable traffic signal at the site. The temporary setup will remain until work to stabilize the slope is complete.

The site has had single lane traffic regulated by a stoplight since the unstable slope was discovered in December.

Through this project, crews will remove loose rock and large, unstable trees at the site. Approximately 300 cubic yards or 30 dump trucks of debris will be removed. Rock anchors will be installed, which will help stabilize the rock slope above the highway.

Single lane closures with a portable traffic signal will remain as crews complete this work. Intermittent complete closures will take place during rock and tree removal. Motorists should expect up to 20-minute delays.

Wilder Construction Company of Bellingham was selected as the contractor for this $430,000 emergency repair project. This project is expected to be completed within 40 working days. The scheduled work is not weather sensitive.

This is one of three unstable slopes along SR 4 that have required emergency repair work this winter season. Two other SR 4 emergency projects have recently been completed; one near Rosburg and the other just east of Stella at Milepost 53.