Timber Road’s estimated reopening date has been delayed five months.
Washington County had hoped to open Timber Road at the end of December, but in an update to the project website Monday morning said the reopening date had moved to May 2025.
“Our contractor has excavated the slope and is now filling it back in with stronger materials,” Washington County Land Use and Transportation spokesperson Chris Lueneburg said in an email to the Banks Post. “Filling the slope and embankment is taking longer than they estimated, and they are now expecting the project to be complete in May.”
Construction began in September. The road was first closed March 6, 2023 due to a slow-moving landslide collapsing the roadway between Glenwood and Timber.
Reached by email, Lyda Excavating, Inc. owner Mike Lyda described the work as meticulous.
“We are moving along well with the project. It is a meticulous process and we are performing well,” he said.
Lyda also said the project was anticipated to be done in May 2025.
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Washington County noted that the initial slope excavation had gone according to schedule, but said that filling in the slope and embankment was taking longer than initially expected by Lyda Excavating. Fall rains and continued landslide activity was adding to the delay, the county said.
Once the road reopens, work may still continue at the project site.
“After we reopen the road, there may be a few small project tasks left, like striping it,” Lueneburg said. “Brief lane closures will be possible after reopening as we finish up those items.”
“We know that this closure has been a challenge to nearby residents and all who travel on Timber Road,” the county said in an emailed update. “Thank you for your patience and understanding as we build a road that will be more resilient for years to come.”
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
