5/20/2011
Slope stabilization to improve safety along U.S. 26 between Palisades Dam and Indian Creek begins Monday (May 23)
RIGBY ‑ Slope stabilization to improve safety along U.S. 26 between Palisades Dam and Indian Creek begins Monday (May 23), the Idaho Transportation Department announced. The project is scheduled for completion July 8.
Working approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, crews will remove loose rock from slopes and install rockfall mesh. The project will cover a 10-mile stretch of U.S. 26 between milepost 387 and 398, which rims the west half of Palisades Reservoir along the north side of the lake.
Motorists can expect delays of up to 20 minutes as flaggers stop traffic for work. Travel will be reduced to one lane.
One three-man team of professional rock scalers will repel down the rocky slopes above the highway to dislodge loose rock and drape selected rock faces with wire mesh designed to prevent future rock slides from reaching the road. Crews also will plant native grasses to deter erosion.
Motorists should watch for rock on the road and for construction equipment along the highway.
ITD conducts slope stabilization each year to reduce rock slides and to prevent dislodged rock from reaching the road.
For information on highway conditions and projects in Idaho, visit the Idaho Traveler Services Web site at 511.idaho.gov or dial 5-1-1 from phones within the state. Outside Idaho, dial toll-free (888) 432-7623. Information is updated as conditions change.