Published: Monday, May 23, 2011
Give input about road to Wild Sky Wilderness area
Officials have chosen a $15.7 million plan to fix the damaged main route to the Wild Sky Wilderness area.
INDEX -- A road that leads to the federal Wild Sky Wilderness area could be in line for some extensive repairs soon.
Anybody who wants to learn more about Snohomish County and the federal government's plans for Index-Galena Road is invited to a meeting scheduled at the Monroe Public Library next week.
Index-Galena Road runs along the Skykomish River in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Flooding during the fall of 2006 severely damaged the road in several places. Since then, the road has been closed at milepost 6.4, about five and a half miles east of Index.
Areas beyond have been accessible using only an alternate route from U.S. 2, over Beckler River Road and Jack's Pass. The pass, however, has been closed all winter because it's difficult to keep clear.
"It gets to the point where there's too much snow," county public works director Steve Thomsen said.
Federal, state and county officials considered several possible ways to repair Index-Galena Road. They have chosen a nearly $15.7 million option. That would put a new road up the hillside from the current route.
That option is cheaper than building along the existing route at an estimated cost of $26.4 million. Doing nothing other than installing turnarounds at the washout areas and removing asphalt from the river would cost nearly $500,000.
The meeting is not a formal presentation and people are welcome to arrive at any time to look at exhibits set up around the room.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Meeting
People interested in learning more about repairs to Index- Galena Road can attend a meeting at the Monroe Public Library from 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 31 at the Monroe Public Library. The address is 1070 Village Way. For more information, go to www.snoco.org and search for "Index-Galena."
Anybody who wants to learn more about Snohomish County and the federal government's plans for Index-Galena Road is invited to a meeting scheduled at the Monroe Public Library next week.
Index-Galena Road runs along the Skykomish River in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Flooding during the fall of 2006 severely damaged the road in several places. Since then, the road has been closed at milepost 6.4, about five and a half miles east of Index.
Areas beyond have been accessible using only an alternate route from U.S. 2, over Beckler River Road and Jack's Pass. The pass, however, has been closed all winter because it's difficult to keep clear.
"It gets to the point where there's too much snow," county public works director Steve Thomsen said.
Federal, state and county officials considered several possible ways to repair Index-Galena Road. They have chosen a nearly $15.7 million option. That would put a new road up the hillside from the current route.
That option is cheaper than building along the existing route at an estimated cost of $26.4 million. Doing nothing other than installing turnarounds at the washout areas and removing asphalt from the river would cost nearly $500,000.
The meeting is not a formal presentation and people are welcome to arrive at any time to look at exhibits set up around the room.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Meeting
People interested in learning more about repairs to Index- Galena Road can attend a meeting at the Monroe Public Library from 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 31 at the Monroe Public Library. The address is 1070 Village Way. For more information, go to www.snoco.org and search for "Index-Galena."
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