300-foot section of SR 530 reopens after a month of flood repairs

300-foot section of SR 530 reopens after a month of flood repairs A side-by-side photo of the damage and repair work along SR 530. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation) (A side-by-side photo of the damage and repair work along SR 530. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation))

By Jason Sutich

This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.

A 300-foot section of eastbound and westbound SR 530 between Rockport and Darrington was reopened on Tuesday after it sustained heavy damage during the December flooding.

Over the past month, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews rebuilt the damaged section of an embankment that was washed away during the atmospheric river flooding, WSDOT announced.

During the repair efforts, WSDOT also repaved the roadway, installed striping and guardrails.

SR 530 previously closed due to flood damage

In mid-December, WSDOT closed all lanes of eastbound and westbound SR 530 from Suiattle River Road to Concrete Sauk Valley Road.

SR 530 remained closed for more than a month as crews worked to fortify the shoulder that was damaged by the floodwaters.

At the time, WSDOT’s goal was to reopen the highway as soon as it was safe for travel, even if only a single lane could be used for alternating traffic initially.