Patching on Wallowa Mountain Loop Road may cause delays
Published 4:00 pm Thursday, July 11, 2024
- Construction proceeds in December 2019 on the seven miles of the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road, which connects the Imnaha Highway to Forest Service Road 39 on the east side of the Wallowas. The Forest Service recently announced patchwork would be done on the road July 15-19.
JOSEPH — Motorists can expect minor delays next week as a local contractor performs road work on Forest Service Road 39 — the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road.
The work is expected to take place Monday through Friday, July 15-19, the Forest Service announced July 11.
The contractor will be patching asphalt between the northern Forest Boundary to Ollokot Campground.
The work is something the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners has said is needed and the U.S. Forest Service has agreed.
For years, the Forest Service has wanted to upgrade the road, also know as the Hells Canyon All-American Road. The windy, scenic road traverses the mountain country between the Imnaha Highway east of Joseph and Interstate 84 near Halfway. The Forest Service is concerned primarily with the first five miles between its boundary and Salt Creek Summit.
The public is asked to drive with care if traveling in the area and to keep an eye out for construction vehicles.
