City closes Ontario St.
CAROLINE LOBSINGER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years AGO
I grew up in the Tri-Cities, Wash., and have always loved to write. I attended the University of Washington, where I earned a double major in journalism and political science, with an area of emphasis in history. I am the fifth out of six kids — don't believe any of the stories that my siblings tell. To be able to tell others stories and take photos for a living is a dream come true — and I considered myself blessed to be a community journalist. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, hiking and spending time outdoors, genealogy, reading, and watching the UW Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks. I am a servant to my cat, Frankie, who yes, will eat anything and everything in sight … even wedding cookies. | March 25, 2017 1:00 AM
DOVER — Ontario Street is the latest victim of recent weather conditions as Dover officials closed the road Friday because of weather-related damage.
“Due to recent weather conditions and resulting damage, the city of Dover has closed Ontario Street until necessary repairs can be made,” officials said in a press release.
The closure is expected to remain in place for an undetermined amount of time, city officials said in a press release.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate the community’s patience,” said Mayor Annie Shaha.
Ontario is the latest road in the county to suffer damage as rain, snowmelt and unstable ground conditions are wreaking havoc throughout the region.
East River Road, north of Priest River, was knocked out of commission Wednesday night after a mudslide not only closed the road, but knocked out power in the area overnight. Crews were able to open the road by Thursday afternoon.
A mile or so north of that slide, the road has been closed for about a week and will remain closed indefinitely due to an unstable hillside causing the road to collapse. Along the same area north of Priest River, a mudslide on Peninsula Road near the intersection with Highway 57 closed the road briefly last week, and a mudslide at milepost 2 on Highway 57 blocked traffic for several hours on Sunday.
Also closed in the area is Forest Service Road 305, also known as Bear Paw Road. Talache Beach Road in Sagle has one lane open for local traffic only after a landslide last weekend destroyed a home and threatened several others.
With a heavy amount of rainfall in October and a good winter snowpack now melting rapidly, officials said soil in the county is extremely saturated. As frost comes out and water starts to run, it moves mud and debris.
Bonner County road and bridge crews have been busy repairing road issues, as well as trying to keep some of that debris from plugging up culverts. With more rain in the forecast, officials said they didn’t know when conditions might begin to improve.
Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.
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