Barrier will block off U.S. 2 parking area to reduce accidents

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, February 8, 2011

STARTUP — In an effort to reduce the risk of collisions on a stretch of U.S. 2, a popular place to park will disappear.

The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to work today and tomorrow installing a 32-inch tall concrete barrier along eastbound U.S. 2, west of the Wallace River Bridge.

The bridge is located between Startup and Gold Bar.

The barrier will eliminate access to a 50-foot long gravel area motorists have used for parking.

There will be single-lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., while the barrier is placed, said Meghan Pembroke, spokeswoman for the department.

“We know it will be an inconvenience for some, but we think it’s a chance to get safety improvements with a relatively small change,” Pembroke said.

Drivers should expect minor delays.

The gravel area was a popular parking place for fishermen going to the river, Pembroke said. There are no plans to create an alternate parking area. There are other ways for fishermen to reach the river, she said.

There have been 13 collisions at the site from January 2000 to June 2010. Three of them caused injuries and two collisions involved vehicles entering the highway.

Originally, a guardrail was planned, but it would have interfered with a fiber-optic cable in the area, Pembroke said.

The barrier is part of a $5 million project to improve safety along U.S. 2. People are not allowed to park at the shoulder.

For more information, people can go to the website at tinyurl.com/DOTus2work or call Pembroke at 206-440-4704.

Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.