Both lanes of State Route 706 near Mount Rainier National Park re-opened Monday after large mudslides closed the roadway earlier this month.
There will still be one-way alternating traffic during the daytime for several days while crews finish the work.
The Washington State Department of Transportation originally hoped to re-open the roadway in mid-March, but good weather allowed contractors to repair the road ahead of schedule.
“We appreciate the hard work by our employees, our contractor and partner agencies in getting this work completed ahead of schedule,” WSDOT Regional Administrator John Wynands said in a statement. “While this is a very important road for users of Mount Rainier National Park, it’s also a lifeline for business operators and those who live in this community.”
WSDOT closed the road Feb. 6 after two 400-foot-long mudslides covered the road east of Ashford. Debris was up to 6 feet deep in places, according to WSDOT.
About 200 residents live between the slide and Mount Rainier National Park’s Nisqually gate. During the closure, the National Park Service set up convoys for residents who were trapped.
