Moon Pass cleanup underway, road to remain closed
An overhead shot of the rock slide that previously had blocked the road headed over Moon Pass.
Courtesy photo
WALLACE — Shoshone County has received funding to clear a rock slide that has blocked the road over Moon Pass.
Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke announced Monday that the county will be using the funds to bring in additional equipment that will aid work crews in getting the road open.
“Our goal is to clear the slide as safely and as quickly as possible,” Stutzke said. “As of now, our plan is to break the rock down into smaller sizes so we can get it moved to a staging area and out of the roadway. What the pictures of the slide do not accurately portray is the tremendous amount of rock and the size of the rocks that we are dealing with.”
The rock slide, discovered April 15, caused the county to declare a state of emergency in order to access additional funds. Stutzke initially estimated that roughly 8,000 cubic yards of dirt and debris had come off the mountainside and wiped out the road.
“Our initial estimates were a little light, and we are now estimating there to be approximately 10,000 cubic yards of rock to break down and move,” Stutzke said. “What we do with it from there is still under discussion.”
The funding received was limited and the county is still seeking more funds to assist in covering the costs of the cleanup.
In the meantime, Moon Pass is still closed and Stutzke asks that the road be kept as clear as possible from all traffic.