Washed out road causes major problems for people in Cherokee, Sequoyah counties

A road that washed out in May is still causing problems for people in parts of Cherokee and Sequoyah counties. Residents there are struggling to get to work and to the grocery store because of the road.

The massive hole where the road once was has been around since major flooding in the spring. Its size has made it impossible to get through parts of Indian Road, which is typically well-travelled.

Kathy Tibbits lives near the washed out road and said the grocery store and other places that used to be 15 minutes away are now closer to an hour away because she has to drive around Lake Tenkiller.

“Right now the closest major grocery store, where you can buy anything off the shelves, is that far away,” said Tibbits. “You have to go all the way around the lake ... Or to Tahlequah.”

“We know a lot of people in the community are frustrated about it,” said Brandon Edgar, owner of Tenkiller High Harbor. “We’ve had a lot of people ... that had to quit their jobs because they were working in like Gore, going south and they were like ‘We had to drive 45 minutes around the lake to get to work.’ A job’s not going to compensate for that.”

Repairs haven’t happened yet because of the need for financial assistance. But Cherokee Nation said it will step in to help with money from the federal Tribal Transportation Program. They estimate all the damage could cost between $2 million to $3 million to repair.

“We’re going to see this to fruition. Close that loop, get this road patched up,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. “Trust us, we are doing the best of our ability to follow a process that the end product is a good, safe, drivable road for our elders, for our parents and for our children.”

Engineers are assessing the damage. There is no estimated time for when the road will be fixed.

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