Tucannon River Road work to begin October 5

POMEROY–Contractors will begin additional repair work on the Tucannon River Road as early as October 5. The repair work will be ongoing for two to three weeks with the objective of reopening motorized access on Forest Service Roads (FSR) 47, 4712 and 4713 upon completion.

It will include repairs on the Little Tucannon bridge to create a fish bypass and remove debris from under the bridge deck, followed by additional repair work on FSR 47 to improve the road surface and remove extensive rockslides. The contractors will also work on FSR 4713 between Panjab Campground and Panjab Trailhead to allow vehicle traffic in this area.

While work is ongoing Forest Service Road (FSR) 47 will stay closed to motorized access at the Little Tucannon bridge. FSR 4712 and FSR 4713 will also remain closed.

The Tucannon watershed experienced substantial road and trail damage from the February 2020 region-wide flooding across northeast Oregon and southeast Washington. Due to significant flood damage, long–term temporary closures along the Tucannon River were put in place until critical repairs could be completed.

Detailed closure maps are available on the Forest website and at any Forest office. Closure signs will also be posted on the ground.

In addition to knowing what closures are in place, Forest officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains at HIGH and Public Use Restrictions involving chainsaw use are in effect.

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