ODOT warns Highway 229 decimated in landslide could be closed for years

The Oregon Department of Transportation says that a portion of Highway 229 decimated in a recent landslide could be closed for years as the state works to repair the roadway. 

The landslide was brought about by severe weather and flooding in Oregon back in December. The landslide started on property owned by a logging company just above Highway 229 and slid across the highway and down the slope to the Siletz River. Two homes were damaged, but no injuries were reported. 

According to KGW 8, the decimated highway remains closed between mile posts 14 and 15, from Kernville, Oregon to Siletz, Oregon. 

“… Reopening the highway is expected to take years, not months,” an ODOT spokesperson wrote in an email. “There are still many unknowns, and it is too early to establish a detailed timeline.”

“Because this slide destroyed portions of the road and remains unstable, reopening OR 229 is not simply debris removal. It will require extensive investigation, design, funding and construction similar to building an entirely new road,” an ODOT press release reads. 

The roadway is still at risk for further landslides, creating unsafe conditions and making further evaluation difficult. Crews are currently working on detour signage, but an official route has not been released. Motorists are encouraged to use Highway 101 to get around the closure. There are no local detours.