Riggins boulder shows roadway risks
exist even during mild winter

It was near the end of the work day on Friday, January 24 when I got the call of a crash including rockfall on US-95 a few miles south of Riggins. I didn’t think much about it – rocks fall in the mountains – but then I saw the photos taken by TTOs Toni Walker and Brad Steiner and it changed my perspective.

It was a nasty crash to be sure. Reports from the field suggest the driver of the truck and trailer swerved to avoid a massive boulder but collided with a smaller boulder (as shown in the picture at right, below). Our crews were on the scene to redirect traffic and move the rocks within a half hour, and the whole ordeal was wrapped up within a couple hours.

The situation is a great reminder to take a pause and consider the dangers any of us might encounter on the road right now.

First, I think about the operators who responded to the crash. Rocks were moving and they were in the danger zone. Talk about needing to have your head on a swivel to keep an eye on traffic and the adjacent hillside!

“Operators should do a quick risk assessment before entering an area where rocks are rolling,” said D3 Safety Officer Eric Copeland. “Do I need a spotter? Does the slope look stable or are things still moving? Can I see where the rocks are coming from? Does the risk warrant closing the road to come back at sun-up?”

Second, rockfall is happening throughout the Central Mountains due to the warm temperatures. D3 crews have been pushing rocks up and down US-95 and Highway 55 for the last couple weeks. So if you find yourself driving in the area, be cautious and stay engaged. Council Foreman Robin Freeman, veteran of numerous mountain operations, thinks we’ll continue to see rockfall danger.

“This is the January melt,” he said. “We’ll cool down and get more snow on the hill and see the second melt this spring. Rocks will be rolling throughout.”

Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to Toni and Brad for grabbing photos and sharing them with me. Getting photographs helps us share the story of what’s happening on the road. I was able to make a Facebook post warning people about the rockfall danger in the area that ended up reaching more than 165,000 people. It was very timely, as hundreds of travelers have been visiting McCall for their Winter Carnival.

For everyone going about their day on our highways, if you see something interesting get to a safe place, snap a photo/video, and send it along to your Communication rep. We love getting them, and it really helps us achieve our Mission!

By the way, we have a photo contest going on right now. Get in the game and compete to have your snap put on display.

Published 02-07-20