||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT |||
UPDATE 12/02/21:
Effective immediately, Killebrew Lake is closed to all traffic just east of the junction with Laporte Road. Dolphin Bay Road will be the primary route of travel for those locations east of the closure.
The blocked culvert on Laporte road gave way late Wednesday afternoon, leading to a significant washout. Subsequent downstream flow has created a high risk of catastrophic roadway failure at the site of the Killebrew Lake Road closure.
San Juan County Public Works crews will be completing a full assessment of both locations Thursday morning, working to restore full access as quickly as possible.
San Juan County Public Works Director Colin Huntemer highlights the need to prioritize safety of residents, “The risk of failure at the site on Killebrew is significant, and the road has the potential to give way nearly instantaneously. Residents need to respect the closure despite the major inconvenience of using Dolphin Bay Road for access. Please use common sense and caution when in the area, and know that our Public Works crews will be working hard to get our roads passable as quickly and as safely as possible.”
I was one of those drivers rerouted to Dolphin Rd. this evening at 5:30. Thank you to the road crews for their attentiveness to the road and to us. One related problem is Dolphin Bay Rd itself. At low lying areas, it has the same problems it had during the Killebrew Lake Rd. collapse in 2019: numerous potholes, erosion on the side of the road and water pooling. Since traffic will increase there, I am hopeful there will be an early start on shoring up the strength and drivability of that road!
Just need Tim Simonian and the other Doe Bay wizards, and several thousand sections of scaffolding and they’ll have a footbridge up for ya in no time!
(Sorry you’re going through this, folks! We feel ya.)
Thank you to all the workers, stay safe
As far as I can tell the situation on LaPorte Rd has been extremely bad since at least Monday and yet nothing was done to alleviate it that I’m aware of other than assessment. It was inevitable that it would eventually wash out and now it looks like Killebrew Lake Rd might go with it in the same spot that washed out in 2019. Couldn’t this have been avoided with quicker action on Laporte?
I understand Killebrew is back open after County assessment.