Persistent Rockslide Keeps Crews From Cleaning Up U.S. 95
Crews will begin clearing a rockslide that covered Idaho’s only north-south roadway as soon as rocks stop falling onto U.S. Highway 95, Idaho Transportation Department officials said Friday.
About 25,000 cubic yards of debris covered the highway by 7:45 p.m. Thursday, 14 miles north of the Salmon River crossing. The slide was about 350 yards wide and 30 feet deep.
“Once it stabilizes it will take them between four and eight hours to open one lane of traffic,” said Rick Poore, transportation department spokesman. “It’s just a guess as to when the rocks will stop falling. They’re still falling.”
No one was injured and there were no reports of accidents caused by the dry rockslide, Poore said.
Rocks have been tumbling down the hillside periodically for several months, Poore said. It is the same place that mud and rocks shut down the route during the Thanksgiving weekend last year, he said.
A detour road built after last year’s slide also was buried Thursday night.
The most recent slide began slowly last Saturday when flaggers were posted at the spot to limit traffic to one lane of travel, Poore said. Flaggers shut down the highway Thursday before rocks began rushing down the hill onto the highway, he said.
Until the highway reopens, a trip between Boise and Lewiston will require a 360-mile detour through Oregon and Washington.
The Idaho Transportation Department has set up a hotline that will provide updates on the slide until it is cleared. Motorists can listen to the recorded messages by calling (208) 336-6600.
, DataTimes