Friday morning’s wet, drizzly weather has delayed paving and striping on Highway 530 at the site of the Oso mudslide.
The March 22 disaster killed 43 people, buried part of the main route between Arlington and Darrington, and changed the landscape, raising concerns about flooding on the road. A new stretch of highway is nearly complete, elevated up to 20 feet higher than the previous pavement.
Crews had hoped to have the highway open in both directions to 50 mph traffic by Monday morning, exactly six months after the slide. But final paving and striping had to wait until the rain let up and the road was dry enough, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Workers now expect to have the road ready for full-speed travel by Tuesday, depending on the weather.
Pilot cars are set to direct one-way traffic through the construction site Saturday and Monday. Contractors plan to have the road open Sunday with no flagging or piloting, but a speed limit of 25 mph.
For the next several weeks, crews are scheduled to work on reinforcing the sloped terrain along the road, restoring nearby wetlands and landscaping.
Drivers can expect occasional delays for trucks and equipment in the work area.
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