Update: Officials reopen one lane of U.S. 95 after landslide. But not everyone can use it
Officials reopened one lane of U.S. 95 near McCall on Thursday after a weekend landslide collapsed part of the roadway. But drivers shouldn’t rush there yet — not everyone will be allowed through.
The Idaho Transportation Department announced the closure between New Meadows and Council on social media at 6:32 p.m. Sunday.
Steady rain caused a “few hundred feet of downhill landslide of the roadway shoulder,” the department said in a Monday news release.
The collapse is located at milepost 146.5 in Stevens along the Weiser River, about 27 miles from McCall.
The transportation department said a single lane of the highway was back open Thursday, but only from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to those who live in the affected closure area.
“The highway will fully close each night as crews will only visually monitor the route during daylight for slumps or cracks that could indicate another slide,” the department said in a Thursday news release.
Local traffic was previously only allowed to travel between Council and Glendale, as well as New Meadows and Pine Ridge.
Officials said flaggers are turning around all non-local traffic and commercial vehicles and advised regional traffic to take Idaho 55 as a detour.
“The Idaho Transportation Department is working on modifying the permitting process to allow for commercial vehicles to take State Highway 55 instead,” the department said. “Drivers should expect to see more trucks on SH-55 and practice patience.”
The landslide didn’t come as a complete shock. Experts were already aware of the potential for storm damage in this area and had been monitoring it, according to the department.
“These natural weather events are nearly impossible to predict,” Jason Brinkman, ITD district engineer, said in a statement. “Fortunately, given this season of storms, we are ready to respond and expedite this project.”
Crews have been assessing the site and developing a plan of action since Monday, according to the department. Workers plan to begin using construction equipment next week.
The Idaho Transportation Department said it expects repairs to last through April. It said its experts would provide another update next week but warned that the size of the equipment may prevent even local drivers from passing through.
This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM.
