Districts join forces to clean up US-95 slides

In August, it’s safe to say most drivers are only expecting construction delays on Idaho highways.

But on Aug. 9 around 10:30 p.m., Fiddle Creek at milepost 200 near Riggins swelled past its banks and created a new channel, sending mud, rocks and power lines onto US-95, the major north-south route through southwest and north-central Idaho. Three other slides, minor compared to the Fiddle Creek slide, occurred in the area as well.

Operations determined the Fiddle Creek slide to be 200 feet long and 4-5 feet deep at the edge of District 2 territory. However, D2 personnel could only attack the slide from one side until they called in District 3, specifically Maintenance Foreman Robin Freeman’s Council crew. Freeman then called in additional resources. The large slide led officials to close a 73-mile section of US-95, stopping drivers at Grangeville and New Meadows and turning them back.

Watch Video 1 and Video 2 from the slides.

Additional resources and operators from every foreman area in D2 also joined the battle, and within 20 hours one lane was open. Another 12 hours after that, and both lanes were open.

Work continues on re-establishing ditches and taking care of the other smaller slides that never made it to the road, but most issues were resolved within the same weekend.

And that kind of response just isn’t possible without a larger team dedicated to serving the public.

“I was impressed with the D3 crews,” Grangeville foreman Dave Fraser said. “They thought it was fun.”

 

Published 08-09-19