Washout closes Clear Creek Road

The Clear Creek Road has been closed because of a culvert washout caused by high water in Clear Creek last Thursday. The crossing is located about three quarters of a mile south of the Highway 272 intersection east of Colfax.

The sheriff’s office logged the road closure at about 8 p.m. Thursday.

High water washed around the 10-foot culvert which later dropped and then washed the roadway out along one side, County Maintenance Supervisor Phil Meyer said. He estimated it will be four or more weeks before crews can make repairs because of the high flow of Clear Creek.

The culvert remains at the crossing, but the roadway has washed out along one side of the culvert.

Signs have been placed along Highway 272 reminding residents of the road closure.

Residents along Clear Creek Road south of the outage are now traveling to Colfax via Stueckle Road and South Palouse River Road. The route adds 15 to 20 minutes to the commute into Colfax.

Alternate routes from the area are on dirt roads which are now impassable because of the rains.