RIGGINS, Idaho — A traffic alert for people heading up past New Meadows on US Highway 95 this weekend.
The Idaho Transportation Department said it expects to close both the highway and Old Pollock Road near the site of large rockslide south of Riggins on Friday evening.
Officials say this will allow crews to blast an estimated 14,000 cubic yards of unstable rock from the slope, the same amount that has fallen to the road since the first slide at milepost 188 on July 3.
Traffic will be shifted onto Old Pollock Road Thursday night in anticipation of the blast.
Friday's closure is expected to last just one hour, and after the blast, traffic will be allowed to travel through the area on Old Pollock Road.
“Our priority is to ensure that the residual rock is stable after the blast and to clear the temporary road around the base of the slide,” Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins said. “That could take up to a week, during which we will need to keep traffic on Old Pollock Road.”
ITD says Friday's blast is the first of two planned to remove material from the slope. The exact time of the blast will be sent out later. Check back for an update.
The second blast has not yet been scheduled.
Long-term repairs also include reinforcing the remaining slope with bolts and wire fencing. They are expected to take until late October to complete.
Drivers should download the 511 app to check for the latest conditions.
