Work to begin on Blue Mountain Scenic Byway through Great American Outdoors Act

PENDLETON, Ore. (August 9, 2021) — Contractors have begun prep work to chip seal 33.6 miles of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway on the North Fork John Day Ranger District. This project is one of two projects on the Umatilla National Forest that was funded this year through the Great American Outdoors Act.

Work will be ongoing for approximately four weeks and includes cleaning the road surface, sealing cracks in the road, and patching potholes followed by chip sealing the entire roadway. Construction crews are moving equipment on-site this week and stock piling gravel. The chip seal is anticipated to begin on Aug. 16. The construction work will require that the full length of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway will periodically have delays and traffic will be managed by flaggers and pilot cars from Aug. 16 until approximately Aug. 30. The road will reopen once work is completed. Construction signs will be posted at each end of the project and as needed in work zones.

The Blue Mountain Scenic Byway is a popular 145-mile route that travels from near Arlington to Granite. This road is also a major portal to both the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, offering numerous opportunities for scenic views and recreation. The deferred maintenance on this portion of the road will reduce risk to public safety and extend the life of this scenic route for 10-20 years.

This project is part of the investment of up to $40 million in 2021 for 29 projects on National Forests in Oregon and Washington through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), intended to address critical deferred maintenance and improve transportation and recreation infrastructure. Nationally, the funds will allow the Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests lands this year.

In addition to the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway chip seal project, the Umatilla National Forest received funding to replace the Burnt Cabin Trail Bridge on the Walla Walla Ranger District. Implementing both projects this year will provide safe and enhanced visitor access through these areas of the Umatilla National Forest. The projects will also support local employment opportunities and strengthen shared stewardship of national forests and grasslands by expanding the Forest Service work with public and private partners. The Forest will continue to share updates on these GAOA projects as construction begins.

Additional projects may be implemented on the Umatilla National Forest and will be announced as funding is allocated.

For more information on these projects in the Pacific Northwest Region, visit the regional GAOA website.

Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla .

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