Rockslide closes US 12 near White Pass for weekend

02:42 PM PDT on Thursday, July 26, 2007


NEAR WHITE PASS, Wash. – A 13-mile stretch of US 12 will remain closed through the weekend and possibly into next week due to a rockslide that has created a danger for drivers trying to pass through.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says a huge rock was loosened during a routine construction closure Thursday. The rock would not break free as planned and efforts to bring it down safely were taking longer than planned.

Engineers say the slope is too dangerous for drivers to pass under it.

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Slide show: Rockslide closes US 12
US 12 is closed from the White Pass summit to SR 123.

WSDOT and a contractor have been working on stabilizing the rock slope since early July. This work consists of bringing large rocks down from the slope onto the highway and then loading them into trucks to be hauled away.

Westbound drivers can still access all recreation areas during the closure, including the White Pass summit.

Eastbound drivers can get to Mt. Rainier National Park from the Stevens Canyon Road entrance, just north of US 12 on SR 123.

SR 123 is closed from Stevens Canyon Road to the SR 410 junction due to a washout.