LACEY – There’s good news for travelers who use State Route 510 near Lacey. After some heavy lifting, the highway has reopened.
The Washington State Department of Transportation closed the roadway April 24. A culvert failed more than 25 feet below the highway.
An inspection revealed the culvert failed in several locations. Water was eroding soil beneath the highway. The roadway had sunk 5 inches.
WSDOT issued an emergency declaration to help speed up repairs.
Crews dug through 6,000 cubic yards of earth to reach the culvert. WSDOT and contractor crews worked side by side to expedite the repair.
Once the new 105-foot culvert was in place, crews rebuilt the roadway. Workers then repaved the driving surface and installed lane markings.
WSDOT would like to thank travelers for their patience during the closure. On average, 13,000 vehicles use this section of SR 510 each day.
Symptom of a larger issue
WSDOT estimates nearly 1,500 state-owned culverts are about to or have reached the end of their useful life. Many culverts are more than 50 years old and need replacement. There is little maintenance crews can do at this point to prevent future failures.
When culverts fail, a ripple effect occurs to other parts of the roadway and transportation system. This runs the risk of more emergency road closures and lengthy detours that affect travel and commerce.
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