The upper portion of state Route 504, which takes visitors to the Johnston Ridge Observatory looking into the Mount St. Helens crater, will remain closed into spring 2024, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The South Coldwater Landslide covered the Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge on the highway in 300,000 cubic yards of rock, mud, ice and water at milepost 49 on May 14. Local agencies have been working to clear the slide and reconstruct the highway. In June, WSDOT employed contractors for slope stabilization work, critical site cleanup and connectivity restoration.
Initial stability assessments and debris removal are complete, according to a new WSDOT release, and a bypass road is providing administrative and emergency access. Permanent repair assessments are underway.
Repairs to power and data lines at the observatory, which were severed during the landslide, also are underway, but officials cannot estimate when they will be completed.
Several visitor centers, trails and viewpoints are open on lower portions of SR 504. Prospective visitors can view current openings on the U.S. Forest Service website.
