State crews at work on ditch

State highway crews Monday resumed work on clearing the Highway 272 drainage ditch that runs along the north side of the highway down the grade into Colfax. The crew is clearing rock from along the channel.

Flaggers are posted on the grade to conduct one-way traffic in the south side lane while equipment, including a shovel, works on the north side lane of the highway.

The rocks are being placed in wire-wrapped gabion blocks which will be placed along the channel as an erosion control measure.

The highway was the scene of runoff flooding in the winter of 2013-2014, with rocks and debris from the channel blocking Colfax storm drains and causing downtown flooding.

Runoff problems were absent this year with the low amount of snow and rain.

The crew hopes to finish the job by Thursday, which will be the eighth working day on the project.