U.S. Highway 395 washed out in Ferry County

Overnight flooding Thursday washed out a portion of U.S. Highway 395 about 10 miles north of the Columbia River Bridge.

Wet weather and high water have created new road closures on many roads in northeast Washington.

The U.S. 395 washout is at milepost 248.8 at Matson Creek, according to the Ferry County Sheriff’s Office.

Landslide worries also have led to closures of Flowery Trail Road between Westside Calispel Road and Danforth Road, according to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office. About 300 yards of hillside appear to be unstable, with trees leaning near the road and bulging pavement.

Flowery Trail Road connects Pend Oreille and Stevens counties. A detour is available via Cusick Meadow, Westside Calispel and Danforth roads.

This week, the Washington state Department of Transportation will start building a temporary bridge on state Route 21 about 15 miles south of Republic. The road has completely washed out. The bridge will be about 100 feet long and will be only wide enough to handle one lane of traffic. Signs will be posted to give drivers directions on how to cross safely without encountering oncoming traffic.

The temporary steel bridge is called a Bailey bridge and is designed to be constructed without heavy equipment. Construction is expected to take about 10 days.