Use caution when driving in the wet woods
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June 7, 2011 |
Across the forests in north Idaho, the Idaho
Panhandle National Forests and our county
partners are discovering more and more roads
with damage due to the significant amount of
snowpack and runoff. Currently there are many
roads with temporary closures in place due to
road washouts or other unsafe conditions.
According to acting Idaho Panhandle National
Forests Supervisor Maggie Pittman, “The wet and
muddy condition of our forest roads means forest
visitors need to be especially cautious when
driving in the woods, and should obey the
warning signs and closures that have been put in
place for their safety.”
Many of the access roads to the national forests
have had slides and slumps, and although those
roads have some temporary fixes, conditions can
change quickly with one warm day of snow melt or
a rainstorm. Motorists should be aware that
shoulders are still very unstable and the
potential exists for slides and rock-falls on
forest roads. Extreme caution is advised for all
forest visitors, and motorists are encouraged to
slow down when encountering warning signs and
should comply with road closures.
“We expect to find damaged roads throughout the
summer season as the snow recedes and run-off
increases,” Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Engineer Jim Gebhardt added. “We intend to make
repairs and reopen roads as soon as possible,
but we need to ask for the public’s patience as
we are unlikely to be able to address every road
issue as soon as it is discovered. In extreme
cases there are some road segments that we may
not be able to repair this year.”
A list of
current road conditions, restrictions, and
closures is available on the Idaho Panhandle
National Forests website. The list is updated
weekly with the most current known information.
Members of the public may also contact their
local Forest Service offices for more
information. |
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