Mild Winter Lets Road Crews Start Clearing Passes Early

OLYMPIA (AP) -- After a mild winter with relatively little snowfall, road crews are already getting to work clearing some of Washington's mountain passes.

The state Department of Transportation says work's underway to clear Chinook Pass on State Route 410 and Cayuse Pass on State Route 123. Cayuse could open as soon as March 27, with Chinook's opening date estimated as April 3 — both historically early.

The department says snowpack and avalanche danger are less of a worry for workers this year, but repairing a winter's worth of rockslide damage to the roads will be a challenge. They also need to remove rocks and debris from the ditches and culverts.

Crews are also getting an early start on the North Cascades Highway over Washington Pass. The DOT says they'll start work Monday from the east side, and they'll start from the west a week later. It's expected to take a month to clear the road, which usually doesn't open until early May.