PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
A Supplement to:
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December 18 2022 Vol. VI • No. 26
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Sharon Swanson – 1-760-518-4336 – sswanson@cegltd.com
Big River Construction Repairs Large Landslide in Astoria
Big River Construction and scaling company Triptych were tapped to make emergency repairs to a landslide that occurred on U.S. 30 on Nov. 27 that saw 10 truckloads of rock and mud dumped on the highway, approximately 20 mi. east of Astoria
Crews from Big River Construction are working to clear debris from a landslide that has closed part of U.S. 30 near Astoria in northwestern Oregon. The Oregon Department of Transportation estimated the landslide dumped 10 truckloads worth of rock and mud on the highway approximately 20 mi. east of Astoria, The Oregonian reported. The road is a major east-west thoroughfare that connects Astoria to Portland. “This was a large landslide compared to other landslides that we get in the coast range,” said ODOT Maintenance
District 1 Manager Mark Buffington. “The rock was definitely larger than what we are used to. We usually just get mud and trees. It was more than 1,000 cubic yards of material. We have two scaling crews instead of just one. It’s much taller [higher] than the slides that we are used to having.” The landslide has blocked more than 100 ft. of roadway and was likely triggered by rain and strong winds, the agency said in a news release. The slide of the rocky hillside occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 at milepost 74 east of Astoria. At the time, the
debris left on the U.S. 30 closed the road in both directions. ODOT said it has removed a commercial truck that was caught in the rubble but that it still needs to be towed. The truck was the only vehicle damaged in the landslide, and no injuries were reported. “It is too dangerous and complicated to run traffic during the day,” Buffington said at the time of repairs. “We are attempting to bring in another team of scalers hoping to double our efforts.” see LANDSLIDE page 10