Mudslide closes Maple Valley Highway

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — State Route 169 near Cedar Grove Road was  closed Friday morning after a mudslide covered part of the road.

Around 4 a.m., the saturated ground gave way, bringing down tons of dirt, rocks and at least two trees.

Engineers from the Department of Transportation were called out, and at 6:30 a.m., they determined the hillside was safe enough to reopen the northbound lane, which the debris didn’t reach.

The stretch of 169 has seen other slides this winter.

Evidence of three previous slides can be seen within 50 yards of Friday morning's slide.

Cleanup workers said it would take a couple hours to clear the mudslide debris and reopen the southbound lane of SR 169.

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