Mount St. Helens Access Restored After 3-Year Closure

After three years of closure due to a massive landslide, Mount St. Helens' Johnston Ridge Observatory will finally regain road access. The 2023 slide buried State Route 504 with over 300,000 cubic yards of volcanic debris, stranding visitors who needed helicopter rescue. Now Washington State Department of Transportation crews are building a permanent replacement for the destroyed Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge, with completion expected this fall. The project promises to revive local tourism that has struggled since the closure, even though hiking trails and other facilities remained open throughout. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-washingtons-broken-trust/ #MountStHelens #Washington #Transportation #Tourism #Infrastructure #VolcanicMonument #StateRoute504 #JohnstonRidge #WSDOT #CowlitzCounty