Date:  Thursday, November 13, 2008

Contact: Melanie Coon, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)
(360) 507-4242 (cell)

RANDLE - WSDOT maintenance crews are in the process of closing both directions of US 12 near Randle in Lewis County (milepost 115) due to flooding. Rising water from nearby Davis Creek and Cowlitz River is flooding the roadway after steady rainfall Wednesday. Crews are putting up signs and barricades and are expected to have the road completely closed before midnight. Crews will evaluate the roadway when water recedes to determine if repairs are required and if it is safe to reopen the road.

Other Southwest Washington Flooding Impacts:

• SR 131 in eastern Lewis County is closed from mileposts 0 to 2 due to high water. Local detour is signed and in place. (SR 131 is only 2 miles long, so the entire stretch of this route is closed.)
• US 101 in Pacific County is reduced to a single lane in each direction at milepost 58.57 (intersection of Heath Street and US 101 in Raymond) due to high water.
• SR 508 in Lewis County is restricted at milepost 18.8 vicinity (community of Cinebar) due to high water. The road is currently passable and high water signs are out.
  Throughout Wednesday's heavy rains, WSDOT activated all available crews to respond to the inclement conditions including clearing drains, clearing lanes and managing traffic.

In any situation where drivers encounter water over the roadway, they should avoid driving through standing water and observe signs and barricades.

Know before you go by checking the WSDOT traffic site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/

Drivers can check out our new WSDOT news page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/news. We post press releases, pictures taken by our crews in the field, author blogs and let you follow WSDOT news via our twitter account.

Know as you go by using the 511 driver information line.

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