ASHFORD, Wash. — State Route 706 near the Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park will close overnight starting at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, while maintenance crews replace a failing culvert.
The highway will remain closed at Kernahan Road East until 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, blocking all access to the park entrance.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is doing repairs in Ashford to address drainage issues ahead of storm season.
WSDOT says maintenance workers discovered the failing culvert on Oct. 16 while preparing for another culvert repair project in the same area.
Emergency service vehicles will maintain access through the work zone during the repair period.
Residents living between Kernahan Road East and just east of Murray Road East at milepost 12.8 will have limited local access, while residents living further east will be unable to travel westbound on SR 706 until work concludes Saturday morning.
Culverts are large underground pipes that allow stream and stormwater runoff to flow beneath roadways.
WSDOT estimates that nearly 1,500 state-owned culverts across the state are near or past their intended lifespan, with many structures exceeding 50 years of age.
When the roadway reopens Saturday morning, drivers will travel over a temporary compacted gravel surface east of Murray Road East with reduced speed limits.
Crews will return to pave the road section during warm, dry weather, which will require daytime one-way alternating traffic.