Highway May Open By April

Tue., March 24, 1998

Associated Press

The North Cascades Highway could reopen by the end of the month, the earliest ever, due to the mild winter.

But the state Transportation Department is making no promises.

“It’s hard clearing this road, and anything can happen,” said department supervisor Ted Dempse.

“I hate to give a date because you don’t know the grief I get when all of Marblemount and Winthrop call wanting to know when the road will be open.”

The road is usually closed from November to mid-April.

This year’s mild winter has left the pass with a snow accumulation of just 5 feet, down from 12 last year, which took till May to clear at a cost of $100,000 - $30,000 more than usual.

A four-member crew started clearing the pass from the west side Feb. 17 and reached Washington Pass, elevation 5,477 feet, last week.

“You see how fast he’s going,” department maintenance supervisor Jim Carter said of a passing snow blower traveling at about 1 mile per hour. “That’s flying for a snow blower. That’s cooking.”

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