Orville Road East in Pierce County will remain closed until the affected slope can be stabilized and the road can be cleared, according to a statement released Thursday by the Pierce County Road Operations Department.

A mudslide forced closure of of the road Tuesday night, impacting through-traffic from Kapowsin to SR 161 in the Graham area, according to Pierce County Road Operations. The affected section of Orville Road runs from the intersection with Orting-Kapowsin Highway and the Kapowsin Highway (304th Street East) to State Route 161 just south of Eatonville. The road runs southerly along Kapowsin Lake and along the banks of Ohop lake until it reaches SR 161 just north of Eatonville.

Though the county hoped to reopen the road yesterday, several additional cubic yards of mud and trees slid into the roadway.

“Our engineering and geo-tech staff will continue to assess the site and make recommendations as conditions dictate,” said Division Manager Bruce Wagner.

The latest forecast predicts over an inch of rain in the next 24 hours. As a result, Wagner said he was uncertain whether the road could be reopened this week.