Erases $300,000 project: Night shift road crew pulls culvert before thaw

The state Department of Transportation night-shift crew Monday returned to the assignment of removing the culvert pipe from the drain project along the Palouse Highway grade. DOT crews started the project last Thursday when the regional office announced DOT officials had decided to pull out the pipe which was the cause of runoff floods in December and January.

Winter snow storms shut down the work which had also been slated for last Friday, and the crew didn’t get back on the scene until Monday.

DOT spokesman Al Gilson said crews are working against the clock to clear the 272 channel with warm...