Engineers say it will take six weeks to rebuild a 100-foot-long stretch of the Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park that collapsed the other day.

The work will entail rebuilding the section with a rock and gravel bed with a culvert. The plans were developed Wednesday after three engineers from the Federal Highways Administration and park staff spent the day assessing the road damage. Repairs are expected to begin Friday, according to Olympic Superintendent Karen Gustin.

“We are pleased to report that plans are coming together quickly," the superintendent said. “We understand the importance of Hurricane Ridge to our region and we are fully committed to reopening the road as quickly as possible.

“We are also committed to repairing the road in a way that absolutely minimizes the chances of this happening again, and a Federal Highways Administration geotechnical engineer will be here on Thursday to confirm details of the repair design,” the superintendent added.

The road has been closed since Monday when a slope below the roadway slid downhill, taking with it most of both travel lanes along a 100-foot long section of road. The damaged site is just below the Heart O’the Hills entrance station, approximately five miles south of Port Angeles.

Until the repairs are completed, there's a road closure in place that applies to bicyclists, hikers, stock and vehicles, the park announced. The slide area is still active, and soil is continuing to move
down slope, undercutting the remaining narrow strip of asphalt and creating a hazard.

For information about alternative destinations within Olympic National Park, people may consult the park's website at www.nps.gov/olym or call the Olympic National Park Visitor Center at 360-565-3130. The recorded Road and Weather Hotline is updated throughout the day with changes and can be reached by calling 360-565-3131.