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SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair Washington State Department of Transportation and Snohomish County Public Works

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SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair Washington State Department of Transportation and Snohomish County Public Works Slide Area SR 530 River (photo by Snohomish County) SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair Washington State Department of Transportation and Snohomish County Public Works Executive summary On March 22, 2014, a massive landslide occurred The reconstruction efforts consisted of six projects: between the towns of Arlington and Darrington near the Emergency Temporary Berm Construction community of Oso in Snohomish County, Washington. 1 and Dewatering Mud and debris slid down into the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River valley blocking the river’s flow and 2 North Fork Stillaguamish River Pilot Channel Project causing upstream flooding. The slide material, estimated SR 530 Access Road Maintenance and at approximately 8 million cubic meters, covered an 3 Traffic Control Project area of approximately one square mile in less than one minute. A section of State Route 530 (SR 530) 4 SR 530 Roadway Clearing Project was blocked, isolating the community of Darrington. 5 SR 530 Emergency Roadway Reconstruction Project The two agencies, Washington State Department of 6 SR 530 Incident Debris Removal Project Transportation (WSDOT) and Snohomish County worked side by side with the local communities, volunteers, The six projects were unique, in that they: and the staff from local, state, and federal jurisdictions, • Took place under adverse conditions and during a as well as Native American tribes, in response to the compressed timeframe of 6 months. SR 530 landslide and in the reconstruction of the damaged section of SR 530. • Involved many of the same agencies, contractors, and local community members working together toward WSDOT and Snohomish County are jointly applying for the common goal of recovering landslide victims, re- the APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award in storing access between Arlington and Darrington, and the category of Disaster or Emergency Construction/ restoring 80 acres of land to a safer and more stable Repair, as our two agencies share in the achievement condition. of supporting each other during the response to this • Were supported by emergency funding. catastrophic event and in the reconstruction of SR 530. SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair | WSDOT & Snohomish County Public Works APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award Submittal - 1 - The incident Snohomish County Executive John Lovick issued a Local Proclamation of Emergency, and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed a State of Emergency for Washington State on March 22. President Barack Obama responded by issuing a Presidential Disaster Declaration for the SR 530 Flooding and Mudslide incident, which made federal disaster aid available to supplement state, tribal, and local response, search, and restoration efforts in the area. President Obama followed up with a visit to the slide area on April 22, meeting with survivors and community members. SR 530 was covered with mud and debris from the landslide. (photo by WA State Patrol) A united response More than 900 local, state, tribal, and federal personnel, trained and untrained volunteers, contractors, families, A devastating landslide and neighbors were involved in the search, rescue, and At 10:37 a.m., on March 22, a massive landslide recovery operations. Lorena Eng, WSDOT’s Northwest occurred near the community of Oso in Snohomish Regional Administrator, and Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County, Washington. There was no time to escape. County’s Public Works Director, led a strong, coordinated, Surrounding neighbors described the ground shaking team effort founded on many years of working together. and hearing a deafening noise like a freight train. WSDOT sent employees to support the county staff in Forty-three people lost their lives and 10 were seriously the Emergency Operation Center and the Incident injured. More than 36 structures were destroyed and Command Locations (ICL). Snohomish County and WSDOT nine others were damaged by the flooding that followed. worked together to respond to needs and support the Emergency calls to 911 were made and the community communities. responded. A quick-thinking Sheriff’s Deputy summoned the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team, train- ing in the area at the time. The Helicopter Rescue Team responded and rescued 14 people. Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management (DEM) activated its Emergency Operations Center and called rescue teams and support staff. Local, state and federal personnel, contractors, and volunteers joined in the search and rescue operations. Local volunteers brought excavating equipment and shovels to help with the search and rescue effort. At times they were digging with their hands. They were there to help, to find survivors, and to recover friends and loved ones. This small community is close knit and determined. The mantra, “Oso Strong,” characterizes their spirit, as they did not stop searching until July 22, when the last of the 43 victims was recovered. Washington State Urban Search and Rescue Team, search and rescue dog teams, and local loggers and sawyers participated in Gregg Sieloff, an assistant chief from the Lynnwood the recovery efforts. (photo by Snohomish County) Fire Department who responded to the incident, recalled local volunteers saying “logger up” and “make it happen” as they searched in the mud day after day. SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair | WSDOT & Snohomish County Public Works APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award Submittal - 2 - The town of Darrington could not be reached from The search for the victims had to be completed before SR 530, which was blocked. The only viable detour SR 530 could reopen. More than 900 people worked was SR 20, a trip that added more than two hours and together in the search while fighting cold weather, 100 miles one way for commuters and freight haulers. rain, quicksand-like mud, and large areas inundated On March 26, just four days after the slide, WSDOT and with water. The Snohomish County Emergency Operations Snohomish County Public Works crews began working Center remained activated for 40 days while the together to restore access around the slide. operation took place; the longest activation on record for the County. On April 28, the Sheriff’s Office ended The first task was clearing and opening the Mountain the formal search efforts, with 41 out of 43 victims Loop Highway, normally closed because of snow, to recovered and identified. Everyone involved was still provide an alternate route in and out of Darrington. On mindful that there were still two victims yet to be the same day, local contractors built a road connecting recovered. Out of respect, WSDOT delayed the process of SR 530 to an existing Seattle City Light utility access clearing the highway until the Sheriff’s Office formally road. That access road was quickly made available to ended the search. WSDOT and Snohomish County then emergency responders. WSDOT and Snohomish County began developing plans to clear SR 530, reconstruct the roadway crews supported the recovery efforts by building portion destroyed by the landslide, and restore 80 acres staging areas and a helicopter landing pad, and of surrounding land to a safer and more stable condition. providing water trucks for decontamination. WSDOT and Snohomish County response and repair projects Six major projects addressing the SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair were bid at a combined total of $43 million and were scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2014. Cumulatively, the six projects came in $7.5 million under budget and finished 22 days early. WSDOT, Snohomish County, and their contractors worked within the same footprint to get the work done before the fall rains. Project 1: $300,000 Emergency Temporary Berm Construction and Dewatering Lead agency: Snohomish County | Major Contractor: Crews used pumps to drain water from search areas. Army Corps of Engineers | Work began April 7 and (photo by Snohomish County) was completed on April 30, 2014. Snohomish County’s Public Works Surface Water Manage- ment team worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct a temporary berm to isolate a search area and provide more safety and stability for the search and recovery teams. The Corps imported 5,800 cubic yards of quarry spalls and built a 2,900 foot-long berm. The Corps also installed and operated dewatering pumps to assist search and recovery efforts. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed a berm. (photo by Snohomish County) SR 530 Landslide Emergency Response and Repair | WSDOT & Snohomish County Public Works APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award Submittal - 3 - Amphibious excavators were used to clear debris from the Vehicles were detoured along a single-lane Seattle City Light river channel. (photo by Snohomish County) access and maintenance road. (photo by WSDOT) Project 2: $480,000 Project 3: $3.4 million North Fork Stillaguamish River SR 530 Access Road Maintenance Pilot Channel Project and Traffic Control Project Lead agency: Snohomish County | Major Contractor: Lead agency: WSDOT | Major Contractor: Granite BCI Contracting, Inc. | Work began April 7 and was Construction Inc. | Executed on April 25 and issued completed on April 30, 2014 substantial completion on June 16, 2014 Snohomish County Public Works contracted with BCI Shortly after the slide, WSDOT began considering detour Contracting, Inc. to provide amphibious excavators to route alternatives. WSDOT selected the primitive single- reconstruct a portion of the river channel, in order to lane Seattle City Light access and maintenance road drain the impounded water upstream of the slide debris. located just south of the slide area as the primary detour The standing water upstream of the slide was an impedi- route for SR 530. This route minimized delay times and ment to recovery efforts and to the highway reconstruc- added the least amount of additional miles for drivers. tion project. WSDOT secured agreements with underlying property BCI’s unique excavators are designed to float and provide owners and Seattle City Light to ensure the route’s low ground pressure for use in soft soils.
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