Highway 95 moving, Deep Creek Loop remains
closed |
March 23, 2017 |
|
Location of
Tuesday's mud slide just south of
Mountain Meadows Road. |
As of 8 p.m. today, Highway 95 at mile 498.6 six
miles south of Bonners Ferry remains down to one
lane of traffic with flaggers after a major mud
slide Tuesday evening.
The good news is that delays have typically been
of just a few minutes in duration.
The highway could remain restricted for several
days as mud continues to ooze into the roadway,
and problems could be exacerbated as up to an
inch of snow is expected by Friday morning
before turn to all rain by around 11 a.m.
Anywhere from a tenth to a quarter inch of rain
is expected to fall on Friday, and intermittent
rain is expected to continue through most of
next week, with rain likely on Monday and
Wednesday.
Deep Creek Loop, which was shut down at 12:11
a.m. Wednesday near the railway trestle by
Mirror Lake Golf Course after a major fissure
formed in the road surface due to flooding, also
remains closed, and is unlikely that it will be
reopened very soon.
According to Boundary County Road and Bridge
assistant superintendent Renee Nelson, the
repairs required are such that it's not possible
to repair a single lane at a time, allowing
traffic to alternate, but will have to be
finished completely before the road can be
reopened. According to Nelson, bids are
currently being sought and it could be several
days before work gets underway.
Despite the closure, motorist had been moving
barriers set out by road and bridge personnel
and attempting to drive through. Today, the
portable barriers initially set out were
replaced by concrete jersey barriers. |
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