“We need a plan and funding for a more sustainable highway at the Hooskanaden slide,” City Manager Janell Howard said today.
Retired City Manager Gary Milliman, who also serves as Chair of the South West Area Commission on Transportation (SWACT), is recommending that the Commission send a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) and the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation calling for a coordinated effort among local, state and federal agencies to address the Hooskanaden slide issue.
SWACT is a 27-member advisory committee consisting of local officials and transportation system stakeholders in the Curry, Coos and Douglas Counties geographic area. At a recent SWACT meeting Milliman appointed himself and Curry County Commissioner Court Boice to a subcommittee to gather information in preparation for the SWACT letter.
“We have been advised by regional ODOT staff that a rough cost estimate for a semi-permanent fix would be in the $40 million range, and that it is not a part of any current budget request,” Milliman said.
“The highway outage caused by this slide was more than just an inconvenience,” said Brookings Mayor Jake Pieper. “It had real public safety and economic impacts on the Curry County community.“
“We need to bring this matter to the attention of our state and federal policymakers in a more aggressive way, which is why we are calling on the community to write letters to the SWACT describing how this highway outage has adversely affected them,” Pieper said.
“We also need to pursue improvements to Carpenterville Road as an emergency alternative route,” Milliman said, noting the Carpenterville Road is a state-maintained highway. “Carpenterville Road has its own problems. This road needs to be improved and maintained to a standard whereby it can be used as an alternative route at a moment’s notice.”
There have been several reports of how the outage impacted the community, including all ambulance traffic being directed to Crescent City and fuel shortages at Brookings gas stations. “We need more information on community impacts to incorporate into our presentation to the OTC,” Milliman said.
The City is assisting in securing support letters. A sample letter is available on the City’s website at https://www.brookings.or.us/DocumentCenter/View/1360. “We need information specific to the individual experience of people and businesses adversely impacted by the highway closure,” Howard said.
Del Norte County local, state and federal officials have come together to develop a strategy to address the Highway 101 failure at “Last Chance Grade” located just south of Crescent City. It’s a long timeline, with construction not expected to begin until at least 2031,” Milliman said. “But at least they have a plan, and they have commitments from all levels of government to support the plan. We need to do the same for “Hooskanaden Slide.”
Please Like, Share and Follow the …
