A section of Romaine Creek Road between Corn Lane and East Romaine Creek Road in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton is closed until further notice to allow Jefferson County Public Works crews to complete more emergency repairs to the road.
The road already had been reduced to one lane for eastbound traffic in early April. Since then, however, crews have discovered the formation of a “longitudinal crack” on the open lane, Public Works Director Jason Jonas said.
The full road closure went into effect on Monday after county staff closely monitored the crack for signs of widening over the weekend, Jonas said.
The westbound lane on Romaine Creek Road was closed to traffic in April due to a slide caused by heavy rainfall, similar to slides that formed on nearby portions of the road in December and in 2022.
The slides were caused by subsurface water pooling underneath the road, which, when compounded by heavy rains, can cause the road to crack or buckle, Jonas said.
According to a written statement from the Public Works Department, motorists to the west of the closure will need to take East Romaine Creek to West Rock Creek Road and back onto Romaine Creek Road.
About 370 motorists take Romaine Creek Road every day, the statement said.
Jonas did not have an estimate for the cost to repair the road on May 2.