Mudslide Threats Subside On Highway

A remote southeastern Washington highway shut down for more than two weeks because of the potential for a mudslide was reopened Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation said.

Washington 129 was reopened because a hillside about 1,000 feet above the road has stabilized, officials said. Crews have recently removed water that had been forming cracks in the hillside, and warmer weather has helped soil dry out.

Officials will continue to monitor the hillside for at least two months, the department said.

The highway was closed between Buford Creek, which flows into the Grande Ronde, and the Oregon border on March 14. It also was closed after recent winter rains that caused three washouts.

The highway traverses the canyon of the Grande Ronde River, linking the Clarkston-Lewiston, Idaho, area with northeastern Oregon.