New road closures established as drilling continues in downtown Walla Walla
By Dan Thesman on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
News release from city of Walla Walla
WALLA WALLA – Drilling operations resumed today (Saturday) to determine the boundaries of the underground gasoline plume. GeoEngineers’ crew will drill multiple holes, 20 to 25 feet deep, on the east side of 2nd Avenue between Rose Street and Sumach Street. Department of Ecology staff are collecting samples and taking readings to detect the presence of gasoline within in the holes.
Walla Walla Fire Department has established new road closures around this work zone. (An updated closure map is provided in the photos section below.) The new closures were put in place to provide more room for heavy equipment to move and operate in the area.
- Rose Street is currently closed to vehicle traffic between 3rd Avenue and the entrance to the Park and Shop lot at 18 E. Rose St. Several barricades are placed on Rose at Colville Street to alert westbound drivers of the hard closure ahead.
- 2nd Avenue is closed to vehicle traffic between Cherry Street and Main Street, but pedestrian traffic is being allowed on the sidewalks on 2nd Avenue between Main and Rose.
Ecology received preliminary results from the lab testing of the gasoline samples taken from the sumps in the affected buildings. More specific results are expected to be made available in the middle of next week.
WWFD continues to perform regular air quality monitoring at buildings around the area, with no changes detected.
The response team appreciates the flexibility of the community as we learn more about the situation and adjust our approach to changing conditions.
City staff will continue to provide these updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov/gasoline) as the situation changes.
