N. Oregon Coast's Hwy 30 Reopens to Daylight Travel
Published 12/12/22 at 12:15 AM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff
(Astoria, Oregon) – Finally, those who were hoping one route to the Oregon coast would be freed up are going to be pleased – well, mostly. (Photo of the landslide courtesy ODOT)
U.S. 30 that runs between Astoria and Clatskanie has reopened during daytime hours after being closed or mostly closed for almost two weeks. A landslide just 20 miles east of Astoria covered the road on November 29 and knocked around a semi. The driver was not hurt, but the slide caused a complete closure for some time until one lane was finally reopened. That lane was only available at night, because crews needed daylight to work on the hill and slowly remove any more landslide threats. This included scaling hazardous rock areas.
Now, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) said U.S. 30 is finally open 24/7. Commuters who take that route to and from the north Oregon coast will find it open in the morning for the first time in awhile.
There will, however, still be flaggers and delays, which ODOT is telling motorists to keep an eye out for. There is still only one lane, and there will be occasional stops in both directions (which will alternate) due to crews and work equipment still repairing the area.
ODOT
Currently, only one lane is open in each direction. ODOT said it cannot estimate when additional lanes will be back because there is still an especially large amount of material and debris in those sections.
“This week we are continuing to scale large sections of loose rock that are on the verge of falling, as well as the debris from the original landslide,” ODOT said. “The slide occurred Tuesday night, Nov. 29, and we have been working on repairs since, including weekends so we can reopen the highway as soon as it is safe for travelers and our crews.”
ODOT said, as a reminder, it is imperative you do not use GPS to find alternate roads through this part of the Oregon Coast Range. These are less developed roads and pose considerable dangers during snowy times of the year such as this.
In 2006, a man from San Francisco died due to the elements after he and his family became lost trying to follow a GPS through an alternate route from the southern Oregon coast.
Before you travel, visit TripCheck.com. There, ODOT posts road and weather conditions, closures, crash locations, traffic speeds as well as up-to-the-minute updates on any relevant road conditions. ODOT also has traffic cams available there. Also See Oregon Coast Traffic Conditions
Hotels in Astoria - Where to eat - Astoria Maps and Virtual Tours
Courtesy ODOT: cleanup work has included trecherous scaling above
More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....
More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....
LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles
Back to Oregon Coast
Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted