HomeMy WebLinkAbout042925 email - Quinault - South Shore Road ConditionALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Commissioners,
First of all, thank you Jefferson County Commissioners for your attention and attempts to move the South Shore Road repairs forward. I appreciate and recognize your very full plates.
Thank you for all that you do.
This is a formal request for a public, joint meeting with the commissioners of Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties, to address the current conditions and plan moving forward to repair
the South Shore Road in Quinault.
I'm a resident of Hoquiam. Our family has had a place on Lake Quinault's South Shore Road since the early 90's. I consider Quinault my second home.
The Quinault Loop Road is vital to tourism for both a drive-around for wildlife viewing and accessing the Enchanted Valley Trail.
The accessibility of both the North and South Shore roads is also critical for safety and potential fire suppression.
Because the South Shore Road is inaccessible and closed near the 8 mile marker, (barely in Jefferson County), the North Shore Road is experiencing higher-than-usual traffic volume.
The issue with this is that the North Shore Road is not adequate for high-volume traffic. In general, the road is narrow with little to no shoulder. The road eventually turns to gravel.
At 12 miles in from Highway 101, there's a series of blind corners against a hillside. I have encountered drivers coming from the opposite direction in this exact area more than once,
and it is very challenging at best. (I'm adept at driving logging roads. Tourists, generally, are not.) I was on that road on Sunday, March 30th. It was a rainy day with noticable
traffic. I had to back down the hill for a driver coming the opposite way at one of the blind corners. Had there been a line of traffic behind me, this would have been impossible.
The Olympic National Park Deputy Superintendent is aware of this situation. As is his supervisor in Washington D.C. We've requested warning signs be placed at the blind corners. At
this writing, we do not know if they have been installed.
Olympic National Park statistics show for the Quinault area for 2024:
Traffic Count:
North Shore Road Entrance (just off Highway 101): 75,666
North Shore Road Eastbound (at Ranger Station (5.7 miles from Highway 101): 34,785
South Shore Road Entrance (off Highway 101): 47,940
Quinault Area Recreation Visitors:
December 2024: 18,910 December 2023: 13,650 - Increase: 38.5%
*The December 2024 count equals almost 1/4 of the population of Grays Harbor County.
Annual Quinault Area Recreational Visitors:
2024: 320,804 2023: 229,187 - Increase: 40%
Below is a statement on record by Jefferson County Commissioner, Heidi Eisenhour during the April 21, 2024 meeting. I know at this writing there may be updated information, due to the
fact a week has gone by. I was traveling yesterday and was unable to access the April 28th Zoom meeting:
"The South Shore Lake Quinault Road is now further embroiled in the decision by FEMA not to honor Governor Inslee’s emergency declaration for the ‘Bomb Cyclone,’ so Governor Ferguson
is appealing that decision by FEMA, but that is what is now slowing down. I feel like that the South Shore Lake Quinault Road gets further slowed down every week by some State or Federal
decision. That was the pathway we were on for both of these repairs..."
The residents, business owners, and users of these areas deserve a public meeting, information and updates regarding the South Shore Road closure, as well as safety measures and signage
on the North Shore Road.
Thank you for your time and energy invested in reading this request.
With warm regards,
Theresa Jump
Hoquiam, WA
360.986.0816