Cowichan Lake Road was closed Thursday morning after two channels opened up to let rushing water flow freely under the pavement.
Motorists traveling to eastern Vancouver Island from Lake Cowichan and other points west by that route were met at the Riverbottom Road intersection with a “Road Closed” sign and had to make their way towards Duncan and points east by taking detours by way of Paldi or the Highway 18 connector to join the Cowichan Lake Highway.
A creek crosses by culvert under the roadway on Cowichan Lake Road just east of the Riverbottom intersection and it, like many other Valley waterways, is swollen with run-off from the melting snow.
“It’s a bit of a problem all right,” said Jeff Kidd, Duncan manager for Mainroad South Island Contracting Ltd.
A Mainroad crew had been out the previous evening in the same place, allowing one lane of traffic to pass the area.
“It started about 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon. That’s when we were notified,” Kidd said.
He said the water “came through the side of the pipe in a couple of spots and it started to take the fill away.”
There was a crew on scene before 10 a.m. Thursday, to repair the well-used road.
“We should have two-lane traffic by the end of the shift, if everything goes right,”Kidd said. “We’re shooting for 4 o’clock.”
There have been no other washouts in the Valley, “but we might get some more. It just depends on Mother Nature.” Kidd said.