NACHES, Wash. — Construction began this morning on temporary route through the Nile Valley to restore access to residents cut off when Sunday's landslide buried a section of State Route 410.

"Things are moving right along, no pun intended," said Mike Westbay, spokesman for the state's Department of Transportation.

He added that it's too soon to predict when the detour along Nile Road — which is now under water in places — will be complete.

Selland Construction of Wenatchee was awarded the contract on Monday.

Crews will be digging up the road bed, putting up new culverts and building a temporary roadway above those culverts, Westbay said.

Declaring the site a state emergency today, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a proclamation to allow state money to be used for recovery efforts. Power and phone services has been restored to homes and businesses in the area, home to about 1,500 people.

Meanwhile transportation officials this morning reduced the closure points of SR 410, so only 4 miles of the highway are closed. The closure is from the Nile Road intersection before the Woodshed Restaurant at mile post 108 to Mile Post 104, Westbay said.

Only residents and construction crews are allowed access through Nile Road.

Emergency management officials have also gotten an agreement from the federal Bureau of Reclamation to reduce the flow from Bumping Lake Dam to Naches River, which should help reduce flooding.

More than two dozen houses in the Nile Valley were damaged by flooding that started after the landslide blocked the Naches River's channel, forcing the river to re-route itself.

The landslide — called among the largest to ever hit a state highway — buried and lifted a quarter-mile of SR 410, destroyed two homes and prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents. With SR 410 unpassable, officials say their priority is restoring road access to residents who are now cut off from the Yakima side.

Chinook Pass has been effectively closed for the season.

DOT has set up an e-mail listserve and hotline for residents and others concerned about the road closure. Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr410/landslide for more information on the slide and to sign up for e-mail updates.

For a recorded message with current conditions, call the closure hotline at (509) 577-1635.