After the highway was completely closed in the area most of Sunday as crews worked to repair damage, travel has since been restricted to one lane between mileposts 29-42.
A landslide on Dec. 18 washed out an entire section of the two-lane road at milepost 35 – near the Tillamook and Washington County line and just outside of Glenwood, near Gales Creek, according to officials.
According to ODOT, the area had already been restricted to one lane due to previous damage, before being closed entirely Sunday morning after further damage incurred.
The closure stretched from milepost 33-42 for most of Sunday. At about 7 p.m. that night, ODOT said crews had opened up one lane.
ODOT says flaggers will be posted 24 hours a day to direct traffic through the single lane open between mileposts 29-42.
Tuesday, Washington County officials declared a state of emergency regarding the conditions, with most of the restricted travel located within the county limits.
They cited a 2023 ODOT study, which identified 18 “priority” unstable slopes along the highway, with 14 of the 18 locations landing between mileposts 31-35.
In the declaration, officials urged Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and state legislators to access any available funds to address long-term safety improvements recommended by the ODOT study, estimated to cost between $38-49 million in 2023.
County officials noted that there is no convenient parallel route to Highway 6, with closures and restricted travel having a direct economic impact on community members and businesses that rely on the highway, which serves as a commercial link between the Portland metro and the Oregon Coast.
