Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Department of Transportation workers close off Seattle Hill Road after a large section was undercut by floodwaters when a culvert apparently plugged up, or otherwise failed to handle the volume of water.  Photo Gallery: Flooding November 2006  Photo Gallery: Reader Flood Photos 2006  Photo Gallery: December 2007 Floods   ADVERTISEMENT   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • Detour routes for travel from Seattle to Portland, Olympia to Aberdeen ( PDF) • Interactive map of flooding (External Link) • Snohomish County road closures (External Link) • Traffic map (External Link)   Related Stories • Video: Watching the River Rise 12/4/07 • Seattle Hill Road problem could linger for weeks 12/4/07 • Commuters urged to leave early, avoid damaged roads 12/4/07 • Rivers crest as officials plan for evening commute 12/4/07 • Snohomish County, state officials assess damage 12/4/07 • River cresting in Snohomish; no major flooding 12/4/07 • River flooding not so bad; road damage more severe 12/4/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Commute home through Snohomish County looks grim Major problems on Highway 522 near county line, Seattle Hill near Lowell Larimer Road By Lukas Velush Herald Writer The west-to-east commute home in Snohomish County could slow to a crawl this afternoon, transportation officials are warning. A lane on eastbound Highway 522 remains closed just south of the county line, and it may not open until this evening, said Erin Bogenschutz, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation. Flooding on Monday carved away a large section of the highway's shoulder. To the north, Seattle Hill Road is closed as traffic engineers scramble to figure out how to fix a blown out culvert. Repairs are expected to take at least four weeks. It is the biggest long-term transportation problem created by flooding in Snohomish and King counties, said Janice Fahning, a transportation department engineer. During a typical evening commute, up to 1,900 vehicles per hour travel eastbound on Highway 522 towards Monroe. When you squeeze that traffic down to one lane, there will be delays, Bogenschutz said. “They're working to fill in the section of road so that they can fix for the evening commute,” she said. “We’re trying our best to get it open by 4 p.m., but there’s no guarantee.” Urban flooding left a 60-foot long gash on the shoulder of the road. In places, high water ate away parts of the shoulder 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep. Fahning said the Seattle Hill Road damage is especially troublesome because it could take weeks to fix. An estimated 9,000 drivers use the roadway each day. Cathcart Way is a good detour that will only add 10 minutes, said Meghan Soptich, a DOT spokeswoman. She said most drivers take Seattle Hill Road because it’s slightly more direct route and because it has less stop lights. A motorcycle driver drove past the barriers and drove across the road this morning. There is a hole under the roadway that is at least 25 feet deep and growing as more water works under the roadway and the damaged culvert. “We really want to stress to drivers that, although it looks like only part of the shoulder is gone, there’s a hole under the road that goes all the way to the centerline,” Soptich said.

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