SULTAN — Sultan Basin Road, which provides access to Spada Lake, is open again after two areas were damaged in early January, Snohomish County officials say.
Flooding near the Olney Creek Bridge washed out a section of road, taking out about 200 feet of asphalt. That area was repaired in mid-January. Crews used large rocks to help re-create the base for the road and then re-covered it.
In another area, the flooding took out trees and a guardrail at the shoulder of the road. That washout, which was 13.3 miles from U.S. 2, required digging down to hardpan and then building the roadway back up. The guardrail also was reset. That repair was finished March 13.
Both of the areas will need to be paved later in the spring, once the weather allows, according to the county Public Works department.
Drivers can drive all the way to Olney Pass. The gate to the South Shore recreation sites at Spada Lake is closed, however, while PUD crews do maintenance work. Visitors can take a short walk to Culmback Dam, the dam at Spada Lake. There’s a good view there and picnic tables.
There is also a new trail to the Sultan River, according to the Snohomish County Public Utility District.
The trail is open for all hikers but was built with kayakers in mind. The trail will allow kayakers easier access to the river. While the water flows are usually too low for paddling, the PUD will be doing several water releases each year to allow kayaking. The first release is planned for late April.
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