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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 9, 2006 Hwy 140 closure delays business Staff and wire reports KLAMATH FALLS — A dike break near Klamath Falls flooded an agricultural area and has closed Highway 140 indefinitely. An unexpected 300-foot breach in the dike Wednesday afternoon allowed massive amounts of water from the upper Klamath Lake to pour forth. Water flooded approximately 2,000 acres of former marshland used for farming and forced the closure of a stretch of Highway 140, a main route from Klamath Falls to Medford. Officials attempted to reopen the highway but eventually had to stop and remove their equipment from the road because of severe damage to the road bed. Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger said the highway cannot be reopened until engineers can assess the damage and repairs are made. The closure will mean extra road time for trucking companies that ship between Medford and Klamath Falls. Detours for eastbound Highway 140 traffic start at Westside Road to Seven Mile Road to Loosly Road, then Highway 62 to Highway 97 and south to Klamath Falls. Westbound traffic detours via Highway 97 to Highway 62 to Highway 140. Another detour option is between Ashland and Klamath Falls via Highway 66. Lance Palmer, delivery supervisor for Gold River Distributing, said the detours have added 30 minutes to each of their daily deliveries. He was not so concerned about higher fuel costs brought on by longer routes. "If it stays closed for only a few days, it won't be that big a deal," Palmer said, "but we would be in a pinch if it was shut for a long time." Officials and land owners are now focusing on reinforcing a shorter dike that protects the Wocus Marsh agricultural area, located immediately to the south of Highway 140. No homes are on the flooded land and no injuries to people or livestock have been reported, according to the Klamath County Sheriff's Office. Pacific Power, which maintains but does not own the dike, has created several barriers to control the water. Officials said the water levels have gone down but massive amounts of water are still present across the area. Klamath County commissioners asked Gov. Ted Kulongoski for aid after declaring a county emergency, the Herald and News newspaper reported. Authorities have not determined what caused the dike to fail but Evinger said it was built in the early 1900s and age could be a factor. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy