Changes in schedules will allow one Gifford Pinchot National Forest road project to start early while another will be delayed.
Because of material delivery delays, Gifford Pinchot has postponed a culvert replacement project slated to close Forest Road 25 at its north end. Other developments will allow the replacement of a culvert crossing under Road 99 earlier than expected.
Forest Road 99: Will be closed beyond Milepost 11 Tuesday through Oct. 5. Road access to the east side of Mount St. Helens will be limited to Cascade Peaks and other destinations, such as Meta Lake, Norway Pass and Bear Meadow. Windy Ridge, Spirit Lake and Independence Pass Trailhead will be inaccessible by Road 99. Forest Road 26 will remain open.
Forest Road 25: The road will now close to through traffic for 10 days sometime in late September or early October. The specialized fish-passage culvert is under fabrication, and once it is ready this project can get under way. Forest engineers report the best available information at this time is this project will occur Sept. 17-28, pending completion of the culvert. The road will remain open from the south until snows close it for the winter.
Please check the current conditions table at fs.usda.gov/recmain/giffordpinchot/recreation#cond for the most up-to-date information on these projects and conditions throughout the national forest and monument.
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.
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