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Roads closed due to flooding reopened

Roads closed in Clearwater County due to flooding have reopened.A section of the Forestry Trunk Road from Nordegg south to Hwy 752 closed two weeks ago after the approaches to Elks Creek Bridge and Radiant Creek Bridge were washed out.

Roads closed in Clearwater County due to flooding have reopened.

A section of the Forestry Trunk Road from Nordegg south to Hwy 752 closed two weeks ago after the approaches to Elks Creek Bridge and Radiant Creek Bridge were washed out.

Parts of the gravel road were also completely covered by floodwaters resulting in some damage, said Russ Watts, operations manager for Alberta Transportation in Red Deer.

The provincial highway remained closed after waters receded so a contractor could start repairs but a decision was made to reopen the road Thursday.

“It got to the point where we were getting close to the long weekend and didn’t look like we were going to be able to get in and complete the repairs before July 1,” Watts said.

“We decided it was to the state where motorists can travel, so we got it open again just so we could get use back in the area.”

The road is a popular route for recreational traffic, he added.

Repairs will continue throughout the summer so Watts said there may be some delays.

Sections of the road near the North Ram River and Otter Creek will be restricted to one lane to accommodate repairs.

Motorists are asked to use caution and obey all construction zone signs.

Other Clearwater County roads closed due to flooding — North Fork Road, Chungo Road south of BlackStone Gap Road, Lookout Creek Road, Snow Creek Road and Rough Creek Road — reopened Thursday.

Watts said the flooding was not unusual as Forestry Trunk Road suffered similar damage due to high water levels in 2008. The cost of the 2011 damage was not yet known.

ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com