Washougal River Road reopened in both directions Monday following a three-day closure near Milepost 4 caused by a small landslide and unstable hillside.
The closure on the short section of road, near Northeast Paradise Road, was lifted after a contractor for Clark Public Utilities cut down a large Douglas fir that threatened to fall onto power lines and the road, according to a news release from Clark County Public Works. The road had been closed since late Thursday night.
Public Works crews pushed debris off the road Friday morning, but it remained closed through the weekend because of the potential for more falling material from the hillside.
A rocky outcrop near the Douglas fir’s base was seen moving as the tree swayed in the wind Friday, the news release said, and the weekend’s impending rainstorm caused further concern and prompted the county to keep the road closed.
