Post by ferryfast admin on Feb 8, 2006 20:15:09 GMT -5
Update: Ferry to shut down temporarily Thursday
By Michael Andersen
Feb 08, 2006 - 04:00:32 pm PST
The Puget Island Ferry was scheduled to suspend operations from 12:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. early Thursday morning for repairs to the damaged ramp on its Puget Island landing.
Wednesday, a handful of workers rappelled down the cliff overlooking State Route 4, knocking away brush, trees and loose rocks from the dangerously unstable slope. It was the first physical step toward clearing the crucial highway, cut off by a major rockslide Saturday.
The route may reopen by early next week "in the best-case scenario," said Leon Winger, area engineer with the state Department of Transportation.
No land detour is available.
Thursday, a second team of workers will begin to remove larger rocks. The presence of so much loose rock convinced the state that it would be unsafe to reopen the highway until the rock is clear. That forced a scramble to find a contractor able to do dangerous work on short notice.
Once the rock is down, workers will remove debris and make any necessary repairs to the pavement. The highway will then be partially reopened to traffic, state officials hope.
Free shuttles to the Puget Island Ferry began running on a heavier schedule Wednesday, to handle rising ridership. Long lines at the ferry receded to about an hour and a half by Wednesday afternoon, said Wahkiakum County spokeswoman Holly Pfenniger, as commuters adjusted to the long commute.
About 70 people reserved seats on the shuttles Wednesday, more than double Tuesday's number.
"We're getting phone calls left and right," said Pfenniger.
Buses running between the Elochoman Slough Marina and Puget Island ferry landing now run every hour on the hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. On the Oregon side, the Westport-Longview shuttle continues to make its round trip every two hours, starting in Longview at 5:45 a.m. Get reservations for the 14-person buses by calling (360) 957-2461, for the Elochoman-Puget Island shuttle, or (360) 749-5415 for the Westport-Longview.
Wahkiakum County officials have asked ferry riders to make way for any emergency vehicles trying to cross the river.
Cathlamet Assistant Fire Chief Fred Johnson, though, said ambulances in his area would more likely head to Astoria's Columbia Memorial Hospital than to Longview's St. John Medical Center.
"They're basically the same level of trauma center," Johnson said. It takes about 50 minutes to reach Astoria by driving west from Cathlamet, he said, compared to 45 minutes at best to reach Longview by way of the ferry.
Major trama victims would continue to be lifted to Portland by helicopter, Johnson said, just as they would without the rockslide.
No emergency vehicles had been called into the isolated area of Cowlitz County since Saturday's slide, Johnson said Wednesday.
By Michael Andersen
Feb 08, 2006 - 04:00:32 pm PST
The Puget Island Ferry was scheduled to suspend operations from 12:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. early Thursday morning for repairs to the damaged ramp on its Puget Island landing.
Wednesday, a handful of workers rappelled down the cliff overlooking State Route 4, knocking away brush, trees and loose rocks from the dangerously unstable slope. It was the first physical step toward clearing the crucial highway, cut off by a major rockslide Saturday.
The route may reopen by early next week "in the best-case scenario," said Leon Winger, area engineer with the state Department of Transportation.
No land detour is available.
Thursday, a second team of workers will begin to remove larger rocks. The presence of so much loose rock convinced the state that it would be unsafe to reopen the highway until the rock is clear. That forced a scramble to find a contractor able to do dangerous work on short notice.
Once the rock is down, workers will remove debris and make any necessary repairs to the pavement. The highway will then be partially reopened to traffic, state officials hope.
Free shuttles to the Puget Island Ferry began running on a heavier schedule Wednesday, to handle rising ridership. Long lines at the ferry receded to about an hour and a half by Wednesday afternoon, said Wahkiakum County spokeswoman Holly Pfenniger, as commuters adjusted to the long commute.
About 70 people reserved seats on the shuttles Wednesday, more than double Tuesday's number.
"We're getting phone calls left and right," said Pfenniger.
Buses running between the Elochoman Slough Marina and Puget Island ferry landing now run every hour on the hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. On the Oregon side, the Westport-Longview shuttle continues to make its round trip every two hours, starting in Longview at 5:45 a.m. Get reservations for the 14-person buses by calling (360) 957-2461, for the Elochoman-Puget Island shuttle, or (360) 749-5415 for the Westport-Longview.
Wahkiakum County officials have asked ferry riders to make way for any emergency vehicles trying to cross the river.
Cathlamet Assistant Fire Chief Fred Johnson, though, said ambulances in his area would more likely head to Astoria's Columbia Memorial Hospital than to Longview's St. John Medical Center.
"They're basically the same level of trauma center," Johnson said. It takes about 50 minutes to reach Astoria by driving west from Cathlamet, he said, compared to 45 minutes at best to reach Longview by way of the ferry.
Major trama victims would continue to be lifted to Portland by helicopter, Johnson said, just as they would without the rockslide.
No emergency vehicles had been called into the isolated area of Cowlitz County since Saturday's slide, Johnson said Wednesday.