Effects Of Winter Rains Still Felt

Dozens of families still can’t go home, miles of roads still need repairs and soil engineers are trying to figure out how to stabilize bluffs.

Those are the primary lingering effects from heavy rain that caused mudslides that threatened homes throughout the Puget Sound area last winter.

One of the worst lingering headaches for motorists in Seattle should be eased today with the reopening of the Magnolia Bridge following $15 million of repairs.

City officials are now trying to line up another $15 million for repairs to 27 mudslide-damaged streets that “are pretty well distributed throughout the city wherever there are steep hills,” said Richard Miller, a city engineer.

Portions of three streets in West Seattle remain closed.

Another $12 million may be needed in surrounding King County, said Kathy Brown, assistant operations manager for the county’s road division.

Temporary repairs have been made to 200 seriously damaged roads, and officials are waiting for reports from geotechnical engineers on options for permanent repairs.

In Seattle, 24 homes remain “red-tagged” as unsafe to occupy and 74 are “yellow-tagged” as potentially dangerous, said Alan Justad, a spokesman for the city Department of Construction and Land Use.

Most of the tagged homes are on Magnolia and in West Seattle, and most of those with red tags could be cleared for renewed occupancy if soil engineers and owners can develop plans to stabilize the slopes on which they rest, Justad said.