The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Travelers along both directions of State Route 401, also knowns as the Lewis and Clark Trail Highway, between Naselle and Megler, in Pacific County, will need to plan ahead and add extra time for travel.

Starting Monday, Sept. 11, Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Rognlin’s Inc., will fully close SR 401 near Knappton and begin the work to fully restore access along this stretch of highway and stabilize the adjacent slope.

What to expect

From 7 a.m., Monday, Sept. 11, and continuing for up to five weeks: An around-the-clock, temporary full closure of the highway will be in place in both directions of SR 401, near Knappton at milepost 5.0

Travelers will follow a signed detour around the full closure using SR 4 and US 101.

During the full closure, crews will remove and replace the existing failing drainage system, stabilize the slope near the roadway and rebuild the highway.

As part of this project, contractor crews will also make improvements to the Knappton Boat Launch, located off SR 401 near the Columbia River, at milepost 4.0. These improvements include re-grading the gravel boat launch and parking area and replacing any vandalized signs.

It’s important to note that due to the nesting window of the migratory Marbled Murrelet birds, which ends on Friday, Sept. 22, there may be periods of time when crews are unable to work. This could extend the temporary closure window. Additionally, because all work is weather dependent, the work schedule is subject to change at any time.

This $2 million dollar project is scheduled for completion in spring 2024.

Know before you go

People can receive real-time travel information via the WSDOT mobile app, and by visiting the real-time travel map, or by signing up to receive email/text notifications.