WSDOT has great news for drivers heading between Spokane and Suncrest, because SR-291 finally reopened after being closed because of the nearby Spokane Complex Fires.
Why so long? Well, getting the highway open was not just a matter of waiting for the flames to die down.
Crews had to make sure the road and the hillside around it were safe before traffic could return.
Crews Checked Six Acres for Hazards with Drones
WSDOT says crews surveyed about six acres of land to check for slope stability. They also cut down dozens of trees that had been damaged by the fire and could have become dangerous.
They did all of that while the highway was closed, working alongside fire crews.
The photos released by WSDOT really show the damage they were dealing with.
In one photo, workers are using chainsaws to bring down fire-damaged trees, with bulldozers working nearby and crews clearing the area.
Another photo shows the survey drones being used to inspect the burned landscape. A close-up shot even shows one of the drones while in the air.
The Fire Damage to SR-291 is Shocking
Perhaps the most striking part of the photos isn’t the equipment or the crews, but the damage to the landscape.
That area of SR-291 has nothing but burned trees and scorched ground stretching along miles of the highway.
Check Before You Head Out
WSDOT says SR-291 is now open from Spokane to Suncrest.
Google Maps may still show portions of the highway as closed, but those closures may simply be lingering map information that hasn’t caught up with the latest road conditions.
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Gallery Credit: Aj Brewster