We’ve just received notification that Highway 131 is about to be closed at the turn-off to Happy Camp due to flooding. The notice also stated that they are working on an alternate route for traffic. If we get any more information, we will update this post. (Posted at 5:52 PM 12/12/2015)
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Update (6:35 pm 12/12/2015):
The Tillamook County Pioneer posted this information on their Facebook page:
The Oregon Department of Transportation has determined that the sinkhole on Highway 131 near Happy Camp has worsened enough that it closed the road tonight. “The sinkhole is on the uphill side of the highway, but threatens to compromise or damage the highway,” wrote an agency official in a news release. “There is no detour.” … Unfortunately, this means residents of Oceanside, which is 2 miles northwest of the sinkhole, are trapped for now. … We will let you know what we can find out about any estimated repair/reopening times as well as whether or not Tillamook County government will offer a means for Oceanside residents to get to Tillamook – as they have done for neighboring, temporarily isolated Cape Meares – during the closure. … We also received unconfirmed reports (a reader told us she heard this) that local law enforcement attempted to evacuate Oceanside residents prior to the closure.
Update (7:21 pm 12/12/2015):
An alert from Tillamook County Emergency Management states:
Highway 131 is now closed due to road undermining at the Happy Camp turnoff, MP 2.1. There is an alternate route for emergency traffic only at this time. This is an ODOT road, and they do not have an estimated repair time yet. The county is working on a solution and will get the word out as soon as possible.
Update (9:00 am 12/13/2015):
The Tillamook County Pioneer posted this information on their Facebook page:
A – very well done in our humble opinion 🙂 – update from the Oregonian on the situation northwest of the Highway 131 closure, where Oceanside many residents – and those visiting there this weekend – are trapped:
“(ODOT) crews planned to start pumping water from the culvert under Oregon 131 near Happy Camp Road on Saturday night, but by late evening it remained unclear when the road would reopen, said Rick Little, an Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman. He said that crews also have begun engineering a fix for the culvert that could be installed by early this week.
Tim Carpenter, chief of the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District, said he’s made an arrangement with a private lumber company to use a logging road for emergency vehicles if needed. But he’s not allowed to open the gates for residents – even the tourists from Seattle who are freaked about getting back to work on time Monday.
Carpenter said he hoped that once water was pumped out, it would be possible to open up at least one lane of the road by Sunday. But the state wasn’t so sure.
‘That would be a best-case scenario and speculation,” (said an ODOT spokesman). ‘I can say we’re doing everything we can, as fast as we can to restore a link to the communities.'”
This update also included a link to the following news story on Oregonlive.com:
Update (11:36 am 12/13/2015):
An automated message and text from Tillamook County Emergency Management:
The Hwy 131, Netarts Hwy, MP2.1 closure near Happy Camp is being assessed by ODOT for the best and quickest repair. In the interim, the county will open the gate in the slide area of the Cape Meares Loop Road to ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC ONLY sometime tomorrow! The area will be flagged and crossing will be led by a pilot car. The County hopes to have this in place and the road open by midday tomorrow. Travel will be at your own risk as this too is a slide area.
Update (9:25 am 12/14/2015):
We’ve just received the following email update from Tillamook County Emergency Management:
The Cape Meares Loop Road has been opened to Essential Traffic Only. The road is flagged with a pilot car to lead travelers from one side, through the slide area, to the other side so expect some delays. Travel is still at users own risk as this is also a known active slide area.
Per the text message that they also sent out, the flaggers and pilot car will be there 24 hours a day until the Highway 131 situation is resolved.
Update (9:00 am 12/15/2015):
According to various sources, contractors visited the site yesterday to inspect the sinkhole on Highway 131 and submit bids for repairing it. There is still no estimate as to when the road will reopen. Flaggers and a pilot car will remain on duty at the detour through Cape Meares 24 hours a day to guide drivers through the slide area. [I drove through this area myself yesterday. The road is rough, but it wasn’t too bad…though you can definitely see why it’s remained closed for two years! As always, please remember that this is an active slide area, and all travel through it is done at your own risk.] The Tillamook County Transportation District (The Wave) has also announced that they will provide free shuttle service between the Oceanside bus stop and the Tillamook Transit Center. If you’re interested in the schedule for the shuttle, you can find that here: https://local.nixle.com/alert/5547753/.
In other news, the planned power outage that was rescheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday, 12/16/2015) is being postponed, most likely until after New Year’s.
And finally…there is another “atmospheric river” weather event in the forecast for Wednesday-Friday this week. I’ve read one report that predicts we could see another 4-6 inches of rain, and another that says it might just miss us…personally, I’m hoping for option 2!
Update (11:30 am 12/16/2015):
The following update has been posted to the Tillamook County Pioneer’s Facebook page:
ODOT says two contractors have been working simultaneously to install a new pipe under the road and rebuild the road. The contractors are working double shifts to expedite the work. Residents of Oceanside have been using the Cape Meares Loop Road, a Tillamook County road, to get around the closure. The road is estimated to open on Tuesday or Wednesday, Dec. 22 or Dec. 23, of next week.
I’ve also been forwarded the following email from Tim Carpenter, Netarts-Oceanside Fire Chief:
I did some road recon this afternoon with Tillamook County Public Works Director Liane Welch and have decided the Cape Meares Loop is still the best option for public access to and from Oceanside. The slide area looks to be staying in place for now.
A contractor has been selected to start repairs on Hwy 131 and should be starting tomorrow Dec. 16th and should have the road reopened as soon as possible. Good news for everyone living North of the Happy Camp road closure.
And now for the not so good news – the forecasters are saying we could getting another 3 to 7 inches of rain by Friday. With that kind of rain event we don’t know what will happen. The flaggers on Cape Meares have been instructed if the slide area shows any movement at all to close the road no matter what time of day or night. The contractors at Happy Camp and Hwy 131 will be boring under the road and pushing in a new culvert, both these could be affected by a large rain event.
Get ready, be ready, get stocked up on groceries, get you prescriptions filled, tell anyone coming to visit to check the road conditions first, we’re not through this yet.
Emergency response does not rely on the Cape Meares Loop road, we have other access available to us.Remember we have always been a very resilient community, that has been able to help each other through theses challenges that we face, and just look at them as a small price we pay to be able to live where we live.
Update (6:10 pm 12/17/2015):
There has been a large slide on Bayocean Road, just west of the Memaloose Boat Ramp. As this road is a part of the detour Oceanside residents have been using since the closure of Highway 131 in Netarts due to a sinkhole, this means that as of right now there is no way out of Oceanside for non-emergency vehicles. Crews are on the scene of the slide, and hope to have it cleared sometime tonight.
Update (9:00 pm 12/17/2015):
According to the Tillamook County Pioneer, crews are working on clearing the large slide on Bayocean Road near the Memaloose Boat Ramp, and one lane is now open to traffic.
Update (4:30 pm 12/21/2015):
Reports by the Tillamook County Pioneer state that ODOT is sticking to its original estimate of a Wednesday reopening for Highway 131 at Happy Camp in Netarts. There are also hints that it *could* be ready early – as early as sometime tomorrow – so keep your fingers crossed!
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Update (4:25 pm 12/2015): HIGHWAY 131 HAS REOPENED
As of around 3:30 pm this afternoon Highway 131 at Happy Camp Road has reopened to all traffic. The detour through Cape Meares will be closing shortly, if it hasn’t already.