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 Transportation Today
 

As flood waters recede, county’s road crews see first of storm’s damage

On the heels of this winter’s first major weather event, King County Road Services Division’s crews are getting their first look at the damage left behind.


Crews continue to clean up from the recent snow and rain storms.

It started Saturday afternoon with snow hitting many areas of King County. Since it came on a weekend, the snow amounted to more fun than commuter headache. But by Sunday afternoon, the weather had become a different story. The snow and slush turning to rain as temperatures began to rise.

Then came the heavy rain. It continued throughout Monday causing serious widespread urban and river flooding and ultimately significant storm damage county road crews are now dealing with.

Several days after the one-two winter punch, crews are still working around-the-clock to repair county roads and reopen those that have been closed due to the storm. The heavy rain left mudslides, sinkholes, and flooded roadways in their wake. It may be several days before the work is finished and the damage is fully assessed. Early assessments indicate the damage will be significant.


At the height of the stormy conditions, about 20 county roads were closed. As of midweek, about a third have been reopened. On top of the closures, the storm conditions have caused some localized road problems. It will likely take several more days before the mudslides can be cleaned up, roads reopened and life returns to normal in many hard hit areas of the county.

Motorists who notice problems on roads maintained by King County are encouraged to report them by calling 206-296-8100 or 1-800-KC ROADS. King County will also issue road alerts and other updated information on King County’s Web site at http://www.kingcounty.gov or the Department of Transportation’s Web site at http://www.kingcounty.gov/kcdot.

 
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Updated:  December 05, 2007

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