SMITHS FERRY, Idaho —
Update: ITD announced that the section of Highway will remain closed at least through Monday, Jan. 24 afternoon and they will give an update on the matter then.
State Highway 55 between Smiths Ferry and Round Valley, south of Cascade, is closed after a rockslide occurred overnight, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.
ITD said that the section of highway will be closed until further notice and that the rockslide occurred in a different area than the event that took place in late fall last year.
Construction crews and geotechnical experts got to the site Monday morning to assess the stability of the hillside and to determine the next step, according to ITD.
This rockslide occurs after highway 55 was closed for nearly a month last year where construction crews with ITD cleaned up and used the fallen rocks to build a "buttress," which is a wall of rocks around 20 feet tall and about 400 feet wide. The event also had a direct impact on local businesses and holiday travel plans.
Until the highway is reopened, travelers can use Highway 95 as an alternative route. People can receive updates on the road closure by signing up for ITD project alerts. People can also visit Idaho 511 to learn about current highway conditions.
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