City removes damaged trees on SR169

These were identified as being an "immediate danger” and likely to fall onto the highway.

November 23, 2015 6:49 pm
City workers cut trees along the Maple Valley Highway Sunday. The trees were discovered to be damaged and had to come down.
City workers cut trees along the Maple Valley Highway Sunday. The trees were discovered to be damaged and had to come down.

Maple Valley Highway/state Route 169 between Interstate 405 interchange and 140th Way Southeast was closed for several hours Sunday while crews removed three trees that posed a high risk of falling on the highway.

The City of Renton staff detected three large trees, 75 to 80 feet tall with cracks in the soil that were leaning 10 to 15 degrees. These were identified as being an “immediate danger” and likely to fall onto the highway. The city notified Washington State Department of Transportation and both directions of SR 169 were closed.

According to reports, crews from Asplundh were finished dropping trees by 3:30 p.m. and the detour was removed at 5:30 p.m.