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News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:
Dec. 11, 2007
Road damage from last week’s storm
continues to mount
King County estimates damage could exceed $9
million
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.
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)
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)
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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