Landslide shuts down Oregon highway indefinitely

U.S. Highway 30 near Astoria, Ore., remains closed after a Tuesday night landslide dumped “at least 10 truckloads of rocks and mud” on both lanes of the highway around 10:30 p.m., according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The landslide is suspected to be the result of heavy rainfall, and occurred in an area where landslides are often caused by such conditions, said an ODOT news release.

#pdxtraffic UPDATE/Here’s a look at crews working on the landslide on U.S. 30 east of Astoria Wednesday. Expect that road to remain closed at least through part of today. Choose an alt route (U.S. 26 is PDX’s best bet). pic.twitter.com/196wOHRTCq

— PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) December 1, 2022

As of Thursday morning, crews were still working to return the highway to a condition safe for reopening after damage from the landslide.

Removing debris from the road and clearing space along the hillside for any additional debris, repairing damage to the road surface, guardrail and signs and potentially adding a temporary barrier and/or temporary lanes was among the work needed, said ODOT.

ODOT safety engineers and geologists will also ensure the highway is safe before the agency reopens it.

Heads up northern #OregonCoast travelers: US 30 is closed through today (Wed, Nov. 30), and possibly longer following a major #landslide last night about 20 mi. east of #Astoria.

Full details in our latest release: https://t.co/mBmS8eHdpS pic.twitter.com/hkjFeuUuCt

— OregonDOT (@OregonDOT) November 30, 2022

During the landslide closure, ODOT is advising travelers between the Portland metropolitan area and northern Oregon coast to use U.S. Highway 26, which it says is the best alternate route.

State highways 47 and 202 are also options for passenger vehicles. However, state Highway 47 restricts the length for commercial motor vehicles.

ODOT is asking drivers to not use GPS devices for detours that lead to less developed roads as it can be dangerous, especially in these severe weather conditions.

There was no timeline available for reopening U.S. 30 as of publication.

For the most up to date information, ODOT reminds travelers to visit TripCheck.com or call 511. LL

More Land Line coverage of Oregon.