U.S. Hwy 2 To Reopen A Week Ahead Of Schedule
After being closed for over a month due to the need for emergency repairs, a seven-mile section of U.S. Highway 2 just east of Farmer will reopen this week.
Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson Lauren Loebsack says the reopening means crews will have finished their work about a week ahead of schedule.
"The contractor was able to finish up with paving the highway over the weekend and is just getting through some of the final punchlist items. So sometime between now and Wednesday morning, we will be able to open."
Loebsack says even after the roadway reopens, it will still be in need of a few finishing details that will be done at a later date in the near future.
"Like most paving work they're going to need to let the roadway surface materials set up and then they'll come back to do permanent striping. So drivers will be seeing temporary striping out there with the understanding that crews will be back at that location once the roadway surface is cured."
The highway required emergency repairs after being heavily damaged by a mudslide on July 10.
The damage and subsequent construction necessitated a lengthy detour for both westbound and eastbound travelers which has been in place since July 11.