Upgrade project fails: Flood runoff hits Colfax after highway ditch clogs

City and state crews were called out Dec. 23 when runoff water jumped the drainage ditch along the Palouse Highway grade descending into Colfax.

Melting snow and rain led to an overflow down the drainage ditch which was plugged at one of the newly installed culverts for private entry roads that intersect with the highway on the grade.

The water flow went over the top of the entry road and onto the highway. The flow also displaced tons of gravel fill which had been placed on top of a new culvert segment which had been part of this fall’s state Department of Transportation project to clean and u...