Section of Curtis Road closed for more than an hour because of leaning power pole

A section of busy Curtis Road in front of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center closed at mid-morning Monday after reports that a power pole was leaning, causing lines to sag uncomfortably close to traffic.

“It was going to end up getting snagged by a truck,” Boise Fire Department Senior Firefighter Bert Torkelson said, estimating that one of the lines dipped to within 12 feet of the roadway.

The pole just north of Emerald Steet was leaning farther north, with one small line laying across the parking lot of Mofid Clinic of Chiropractic.

A cause for the pole’s pronounced lean has not yet been officially determined, but Torkelson said it was likely a matter of soft ground following recent rainfall. There was no report of a car hitting that telephone pole or other mishap, an Ada County dispatcher said.

An Idaho Power truck responded to the scene, its driver telling Torkelson that a line truck was on the way and traffic could resume passing through the area after the pole was again upright and secured.

Crews closed Curtis in both directions between Emerald and Curtisian after the leaning pole was reported about 9:40 a.m., the dispatcher said. Police directed traffic at Curtis and Irving Street, diverting southbound vehicles to turn left on Irving unless they were headed to the hospital.

Police were no longer directing traffic through the area by 11:30 a.m.

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Section of Curtis Road closed for more than an hour because of leaning power pole."