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KENT, Wash. - All lanes of State Route 167 are back open after floodwaters covered the roadway for nearly a week.
The backstory:
The highway fully closed on Dec. 13 between Kent and Auburn after heavy rain caused the Green River to flood, with water spilling onto the road. Northbound lanes were completely submerged, closing multiple on- and off-ramps in the area as well.
View of SR-167 impacted by flood waters at South 277th St East
Crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spent the week placing massive sandbags to block water from entering the highway.
After floodwaters receded, southbound SR 167 reopened to traffic on Monday, but another round of rain caused both directions to close again hours later.
On Thursday, southbound lanes officially reopened, and WSDOT announced northbound lanes were back open as of Friday afternoon.
Dig deeper:
The atmospheric river caused river flooding across multiple areas in western Washington, damaging several important roadways.
US 2 Tumwater Canyon is completely closed due to a washout, and Governor Bob Ferguson warned that the highway may remain closed to travelers for months.
WSDOT crews also cited erosion behind multiple road closures, including a portion of eastbound I-90 near North Bend, and more recently, a section of SR 162 between Orting and South Prairie.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation.