Parkway dangerous, officials caution

JOHN DODGE, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- The geologically unstable area around Capitol Lake continues to be a potentially dangerous public attraction.

Despite fences, public warnings and "no trespassing" signs posted by the state, people keep entering the jumbled mess that once was Deschutes Parkway and Marathon Park.

"We had people jumping over the fence this weekend and passing their kids over the fence, too," said Jim Erskine, a spokesman for the state Department of General Administration. "It's amazing."

The section of Deschutes Parkway south of Lakeridge Drive remains stable and safe to use, Erskine said.

However, heavy rains could trigger landslides in that or any other area that may have suffered undetected ground cracks from the earthquake, Erskine said.

The area between the Fifth Avenue bridge and Lakeridge Drive is off limits for two reasons, said General Administration facilities senior planner Dave Schilperoort.

-The area was severely damaged by the Feb. 28 earthquake.

-The ground continues to move and heave in the area, weakened by water flowing off nearby bluffs.

"Some people have asked if we aren't overreacting," Schilperoort said. "I don't think so. The area is a safety hazard. It's unstable."

As engineers continue to assess the damage, it remains an open question whether the road will be rebuilt, rerouted or abandoned, Schilperoort said.

The state-owned road -- built on fill material that doesn't do well in earthquakes -- was also torn apart north of Lakeridge Drive by the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that shook Puget Sound in April 1965.

If the road repairs qualify for federal disaster aid, the money could be used to redesign or reroute the road to make it more earthquake resistant, said Jean Chaney, a Federal Emergency Management Agency infrastructure team leader.

"We try to rebuild differently so we don't get whacked again and again," FEMA official Carl Cook said.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

back to main Earthquake Stories index