PENDLETON — Contractors have begun prep work to chip seal 33.6 miles of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway on the North Fork John Day Ranger District. This project is one of two projects on the Umatilla National Forest that was funded this year through the Great American Outdoors Act.

Work will be ongoing for approximately four weeks and includes cleaning the road surface, sealing cracks in the road and patching potholes, according to a press release from the Umatilla National Forest. Contractors then will chip seal the entire road. Construction crews are moving equipment on-site this week and stockpiling gravel. The chip seal is anticipated to begin Monday, Aug. 16.

The construction work will require periodic delays along the full length of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway with flaggers and pilot cars managing traffic from Aug. 16 until approximately Aug. 30. The road will reopen once work is complete. Construction signs will be posted at each end of the project and as needed in work zones.

The Blue Mountain Scenic Byway is a popular 145-mile route that travels from near Arlington to Granite. This road also is a major portal to the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests, offering opportunities for scenic views and recreation.

“The deferred maintenance on this portion of the road will reduce risk to public safety and extend the life of this scenic route for 10-20 years,” according to the Umatilla National Forest.

This project is part of the investment of up to $40 million in 2021 for 29 projects on national forests in Oregon and Washington through the Great American Outdoors Act, intended to address critical deferred maintenance and improve transportation and recreation infrastructure. Nationally, the funds will allow the Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests lands this year.

In addition to the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway chip seal project, the Umatilla National Forest received funding to replace the Burnt Cabin Trail Bridge on the Walla Walla Ranger District. Implementing both projects this year will provide safe and enhanced visitor access through these areas of the Umatilla National Forest. The projects also will support local employment opportunities and strengthen shared stewardship of national forests and grasslands by expanding the Forest Service work with public and private partners.

Additional projects may be implemented on the Umatilla National Forest and will be announced as funding is allocated. The forest also will continue to share updates on these GAOA projects as construction begins.

For more information on these projects in the Pacific Northwest Region, visit the regional GAOA website.

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