Willow roots extracted, Buttercup Loop drying out
Kalispell City worker Jay Marsh, center, gets help lifting out a pump from Mike Hall below as Josh Stoner, left, looks on near the Willows subdivision in south Kalispell on Wednesday afternoon.
City Public Works employees were able to extract roots from an underground storm sewer on Wednesday south of The Willows subdivision.
Residents of Buttercup Loop now should be able to enjoy a dry street.
The street was flooded for at least two weeks, and city employees began working on the problem Monday after waiting for ice to thaw.
On Wednesday, city employees worked in a manhole south of The Willows, located east of Willow Glen Drive.
By midafternoon, City Water Superintendent Susie Turner said water was flowing through the pipe to a retention pond.
A jet truck and other gear were used to clean the pipe.
The clog consisted of roots from a nearby willow tree, Turner said.
A number of residents had to pump out their crawl spaces due to the flooding, which reportedly reached a depth of 11 inches in the street.