Section of I-82 near Wapato still closed as officials investigate cause of embankment failure

Eastbound Interstate 82 remains closed near East Wapato due to erosion caused by embankment failure, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The closure is at exit 44, Donald Wapato Road.

Drivers may detour using the Yakima Valley Highway at exit 40 and exit 44. A detour is also available through Wapato to US Highway 97, WSDOT posted on Facebook.

Eastbound I-82 will be closed until further notice as state transportation engineers and others inspect the area to determine the cause of the embankment failure. 

"We're still trying to determine a cause. We may have to start excavating to get a better picture there," Summer Derrey, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said Tuesday. 

The erosion goes under the eastbound lanes of I-82 located north of Zillah. Its size is estimated at 10 feet wide by 4 feet deep and 40 feet long, WSDOT said in the Facebook post. It's several feet beneath the eastbound lanes of the interstate.

Derrey has said though the cause is unknown, it's not a sinkhole. There were no new updates Wednesday morning.

Once a cause is determined, crews will make a plan for repair, officials said.