Westside Highway closed after 100-foot crack appears


December 15, 2010 · 4:53 PM

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

Westside Highway between S.W. Cove Road and McIntyre Road S.W. was closed Wednesday afternoon after a 100-foot crack appeared on the roadway, posing potential hazards.

Rochelle Ogershok, a spokeswoman for the King County Roads Division, said road engineers believe the crack occurred because of soil saturation that caused the road to sink a little bit.

"It's a pretty good crack," she said.

Engineers don't know when the road will be reopened. An inspection will need to take place to figure out how severe the crack is and how to best repair it, Ogershok said.

Though the weekend storms have lessened, the days of record rainfall have taken a toll on the region, Ogershok said. Many roads are still closed, and problems continue to crop up.

"As the ground settles, ... we can see problems develop, ... and this situation (on the Westside Highway) is an example of that very phenomenon," she said.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus