7/24/2020
Megan Jahns
ITD Communication
208-772-1295
megan.jahns@itd.idaho.gov
Crews prepare to open US-95 south of Riggins on Monday
RIGGINS—Over the last week crews were able to drill and blast some of the biggest boulders that have kept the temporary road around the base of the slide on US-95 south of Riggins closed since July 10. With these boulders now much smaller, the route may reopen as early as Monday, July 27.
Download a video of one of the biggest boulders, measuring 40 feet across, being blown up.
Download a photo of the detour around the base of the slide after blasting.
“Now that the boulders are of manageable size, we will focus on clearing the detour around the base of the slide while continuing to monitor the stability of the slope,” Operations Engineer Jared Hopkins said. “We are still determining what the highway will look like when it reopens, but drivers should be prepared for flaggers and reduced lanes and hours.”
The final repairs to mitigate the slope failure are scheduled to be awarded on July 30. Once awarded, the contractor will be asked to mobilize within 48 hours.
Old Pollock Road will continue to be monitored and maintained for possible use as a detour in the future.
An update will be sent once opening of US-95 is confirmed.
Drivers should download the 511 app to check for the latest conditions. For progress updates, drivers should visit itd.idaho.gov/news-info and follow ITD on Facebook and Twitter.