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Road storm damage continues to mount

Now that the water has receded and the region has had a chance to dry out, King County road crews are getting a better picture of the magnitude of damage caused by last week’s rainstorm.

Jones Road Slide

As of Friday, Dec. 7, the Road Services Division reported nearly 20 damaged roads all across the county. The damage ranges from sinkholes and road washouts to mudslides and bank erosion. Crews estimate that work at three sites alone may cost as much as $12. 5 million by the time permanent repairs are made.

The Road Services Division will ask the Metropolitan King County Council to approve supplemental funding later this week so many repairs can be made right away. At least three severely damaged roads will require more costly permanent repairs as part of the division’s major capital construction program.

Roads sustaining the worst damage include:

17600 block of Southeast Newport Way in Eastgate

(estimated damage: $4 million – $10 million)

Sinkhole along Newport Way

Road crews believe a drainage pipe failure created a sinkhole and large void extending up to, and possibly under, Southeast Newport Way. The sinkhole measures approximately 10 feet wide by 20 feet deep with other voids extending deeper. Crews will need to fill the sinkhole, stabilize the bank, replace the drainage system and make permanent repairs to the driving surface.

Holmes Point Drive Northeast and Juanita Drive Northeast

(estimated damage: $1.5 million)

Holmes Point slide

Heavy rains saturated the steep slopes along the north side of Holmes Point Drive Northeast. This caused a slide along the downhill side, undermining the roadway and leaving the guardrail hanging precariously along the side of the roadway.

Repairs to this road will involve stabilizing the slope, reconstructing the roadbed and repairing the guardrail.

South 272nd Way, West of 55th Avenue South in Star Lake

(estimated damage: $1.1 million)

A steep slope below South 272nd Way slid into a ravine severely damaging the road shoulder and drainage system. Repairs will involve a substantial reconstruction effort, including shoring up the road shoulder and replacement of the culvert beneath the road.

The rainstorm packed a powerful punch and prompted and around-the-clock response for much of the week. During the height of the storm, approximately 5 inches of rain was recorded at SeaTac Airport, the second highest record for daily rainfall in history. In all, the Road Services Division logged 841 citizen calls during the 24-hour period ending Dec. 3.

“Despite the costs associated with the storm, our road crews did a heroic job of minimizing the damage to roads and property,” King County Road Services Division Manager Linda Dougherty said. “And we are grateful for the role residents played, as well. Their efforts to remove debris from storm drains and their quick action in alerting us to road problems helped minimize the damage from this terrible storm.”

The Road Services Division says it will likely take several months or more to repair all the damage left by the storm.

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Updated: December 11, 2007

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