LAKE SUTHERLAND — Aided by a tangle of trees, a mudslide closed a stretch of U.S. Highway 101 on Wednesday night, cutting off direct access to communities at the top of the North Olympic Peninsula.

The slide occurred at about 6:30 p.m. at milepost 233, just east of Maple Grove Road.

Shortly after the slide, State Patrol troopers began detouring traffic around the muddy mess, said Trooper Brian George, a spokesman for State Patrol.

The detour sent a westbound motorist to State Highway 112, then to State Highway 113 and back to where 113 junctions with U.S. Highway 101.

However, the road remained passable for emergency vehicles, Transportation Department officials said.

The detour could possibly tack on an additional hour of driving, said Trooper Rick Ward.