SR 706 Near Ashford Closes Friday Night: Check Access Before a Local Delivery
WSDOT schedules a nine-hour closure at Kernahan Road East October 23–24. Deliveries near Mount Rainier need an access check before dispatch.
Put the overnight window on the delivery plan
WSDOT’s October 20 announcement schedules SR 706 to close at Kernahan Road East from 9 p.m. Friday, October 23, until 6 a.m. Saturday, October 24, Washington local time. Crews will replace a second failing culvert discovered during preparations for the earlier repair. Access from SR 706 to Mount Rainier National Park’s Nisqually Entrance will be unavailable during the closure. For carriers with a delivery in the area, check the customer’s location and arrival time before assigning the final approach. This is a local access issue that can matter even if most of a truck’s trip is unaffected.
Local access requires a specific answer
The notice describes limited access for residents between Kernahan Road East and just east of Murray Road East, and says residents east of the closure cannot reach westbound SR 706 until the work finishes. Emergency access is maintained. Do not interpret those provisions as general permission for a commercial delivery to pass through the work zone. Our editorial recommendation is to ask the receiver which side of the closure serves its entrance, then confirm the current route information. Obtain a clear arrival arrangement before the truck reaches a point where turning or waiting becomes difficult.
Reopening still comes with a surface change
WSDOT says reduced speeds and a short gravel section east of Murray Road East will remain after reopening. Paving will occur later when weather permits, requiring daytime alternating one-way traffic. The announcement does not give that later paving date. That distinction belongs in the driver’s notes: the end of the overnight closure does not mean every aspect of the repair is complete. Check current signs and instructions on the actual trip. Avoid predicting a travel-time penalty from this notice, because it supplies no measured delay for a particular delivery.
A short dispatch note can prevent a long misunderstanding
Save the planned arrival, customer entrance, confirmed access instruction and the time you checked WSDOT’s current travel information. If the overnight window conflicts with receiving, discuss a different appointment before promising arrival. Review any alternative against the truck and load rather than assuming a passenger-car route will work. Keep the next check assigned to a person: either dispatch before departure or the driver while safely stopped. That gives the early notice an operational purpose instead of letting it become an old screenshot in the load file. Official announcement checked October 21, 2026. The dispatch suggestions are original editorial guidance; construction schedules may change.
Sources & verification
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