Rain, Schmain: The Dalles Crews Get the Job Done Anyway
Jonathan, 23, of The Dalles runs the jack hammer at a residence in the 1600 block of 19th Street this morning amid a steady drizzle while his partner Alex Gonzalez, 22, works on collecting asphalt debris, as the two prepare to rebuild this driveway.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 23, 2026 — A cold, steady rain fell across The Dalles this morning, dripping from eaves, pooling along curbs and turning construction sites into slick patches of mud and steel as low clouds swallowed the Columbia Hills and temperatures hovered in the low 40s.
For many residents, the gray skies signaled another drab winter day. But for the crews working beneath them, it was simply Monday.
Across the city of roughly 16,000 people, construction workers climbed in and out of trenches, operated heavy equipment and leaned into the damp chill, continuing projects that could not wait for clear skies. Rainwater beaded on hard hats and ran in rivulets down freshly exposed pipes as the steady rhythm of backhoes and jackhammers echoed through neighborhoods.
Work is ongoing in the parking lot of Columbia Gorge Adventist Health on 19th street as maintenance is being completed on a natural gas line.
At the hospital, Northwest Natural Gas crews completed trench work as the provided maintenance on a gas line that ran several hundred feet through the parking lot.
Across 19th Street, J&J Construction workers replaced a driveway in the 1600 block, using a backhoe to peel away asphalt and a jackhammer to fracture aging concrete, sending sharp cracks through the damp morning air.
City crew was using a suction tool and a power washer to expose storm and sewer lines in preparation for providing connections to a vacant property behind the dumptruck in the 400 block of Laughlin Street.
On Laughlin Street in the 400 block, City of The Dalles Public Works crews worked ran pressure washers in the rain to locate and eventually install underground infrastructure for a vacant property, including connection for stormwater connection and two sewer connections. The work, essential but largely unseen once complete, will allow future development to safely tie into the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems.
Crestline’s Gary Funderberg uses gravel to cover a temporary 12-inch sewer pipe on First Street that runs from The Cherry Growers to Webber Street. Funderberg wa able to drive over the line with the gravel to support his tracks so that he could clear an area next to the road.
On First Street downriver of Union Street dock and outside Pacific Coast Producers on First Street, contractors secured a temporary above ground sewer line designed to reroute sewage during daytime construction. The bypass ensures uninterrupted service while permanent improvements are completed beneath the soaked pavement. Nearby, Gary Funderberg and Chris McPhearson of Crestline Construction moved between equipment and trench lines, continuing their work despite the steady drizzle.
Funderberg and Crestline’s Chris McPhearson run heavy equipment while the open pit shows the storm drain that will eventually be connected to new utility piping that will run from Weber Street to this location - about ¾ of a mile.
Just upstream a bit, a man who did not want to be identified, worked on removing items from a houseless encampment near the Fort Rock Campsite.
His pickup quickly filled with items ranging from copper pipe to blankets.
Clean up of a houseless ecampment near Historic Fort Rock Campsite on First Street near the Union Street dock.
Elsewhere across town, similar scenes played out.
The rain is expected to continue through Tuesday, possibly mixing with snow overnight before tapering off midweek, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect improving conditions by Thursday, with mostly sunny skies and highs near 50 degrees.
Until then, the work continues.
For those whose jobs unfold outdoors, the wet cold is not an obstacle but a constant companion — another reminder that the city’s progress is built not in perfect conditions, but in the steady, daily toil of workers willing to meet whatever weather arrives.
