LAKEWOOD — Drivers can expect short delays on Lakewood Road on Monday while state crews begin drilling exploratory holes into a collapsed culvert.
The spot is just north of the intersection of 172nd Street NE and Forty-Five Road.
From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, flaggers plan to alternate traffic using the eastbound lane. The roadway is safe but engineers must determine the extent of damage to the culvert, according to the state Department of Transportation. A sinkhole formed above the culvert and the damage was discovered Oct. 5.
Debris from the sinkhole has blocked the culvert to the point that only a little water from Cougar Creek is trickling through, officials said.
Engineers are planning a temporary fix next week by pushing a 24-inch diameter pipe through the existing culvert pipe. The emergency repair will require the closure of the road for up to three days.
The temporary pipe will maintain water flow throughout the winter storm season and allow fish to navigate Cougar Creek until the damaged culvert pipe can be permanently replaced next year.
For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/Snohomish/Construction/#SR531-BAR.
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