Tunnel work done

There’s one less obstacle out there for holiday travelers: Crews have completed a five-month project in the Collier Tunnel on U.S. Highway 199 near the Oregon border.

“Crews worked hard washing off five decades of grime and repairing cracks and chips on the tunnel’s 130,000 square feet of walls and ceiling,” said Karen Sanders. “The new coat of paint has lightened up the tunnel immensely.”

Traffic had been narrowed to one lane through the tunnel and controlled by traffic lights since June, causing frequent delays for motorists.

The project was the first comprehensive paint job for the nearly 50-year-old tunnel and was completed one month ahead of schedule, at a cost of $870,000.

“I met someone recently visiting from out of the area and he asked if the tunnel was new,” Sanders said. “No it is not — the contractor did a great job. It does look good. This maintenance work will help to preserve the tunnel for decades to come.”

When it opened in 1963, the tunnel created a significantly shorter trip between Crescent City and Cave Junction, Ore., by routing traffic the 2000-foot distance through Hazel View Summit as opposed to the many twists and turns drivers previously experienced when traveling over the old route, now Oregon Mountain Road.