GOLDEN GARDENS WAY COLLAPSES. The recent rainstorm dropped too much moisture over a portion of Golden Gardens Way. Pictured is crumbled blacktop, which had been repaved many times, and the Toyota that slid over the side of the road. Steve Shay
The heavy downpour early last week that besieged the state did not spare Ballard as a mudslide collapsed the freshly-paved Golden Gardens Drive Northwest, the winding wooded road between Northwest 85th Street and Golden Gardens Park.
The collapse left behind a hole resembling a giant brownie with a huge bite taken out, and swallowed a Toyota. No one was seriously injured.
The road will be closed for several months.
The detour route to Golden Gardens Park is Northwest 54th Street to Seaview Avenue Northwest, then north to the park entrance. For the off-leash dog area, stay on Seaview Avenue near the Golden Gardens Park entrance, head east, under the tracks, to Seaview Place Northwest, which becomes Golden Gardens Drive. The dog park is about 200 feet before the collapse.
According to Marybeth Turner, spokesperson for the Seattle Department of Transportation, a team is currently being set up to retain a consultant and contractor to begin repairs in April, "when the ground is more stable." She said the department estimates the repair will take six to eight weeks to complete.
Bill Benzer is Seattle Public Utilities landslide mitigation program manager. He said that there has not been a landslide on Golden Gardens Drive in recent decades, although an even larger slide occurred on nearby View Avenue in the 1970's. "Golden Gardens Drive has been repaved many times, and you can see evidence of that if you look at the edge of the collapsed surface," he said.
"This portion of Golden Gardens Drive has a history of periodic, slow, downward movement of the road edge. The city has recently re-paved the road to prevent surface runoff from flowing onto the steep slope. We are currently evaluating the cause of this slide so that an effective repair can be implemented."
Benzer said that each department has developed its own landslide program, and recalls that many departments were called upon in the winter of 1996-1997.
"We had a horrendous, wet winter and the city had over 300 slides.
Steve Shay may be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com
