Moon Pass open
Tunnel 34 was one of the major hurdles that needed to be cleared in order to get Moon Pass open. Even though it is open, future repairs are expected according to Shoshone County Public Works.
Courtesy photo
Crews from Shoshone County Public Works clear snow off the road that heads toward Moon Pass.
WALLACE — Shoshone County Public Works director Jim Cason announced on Thursday that Moon Pass is officially open as of 5 p.m. on June 9.
The pass, which acts the quickest route from Wallace into the southern region of Shoshone County communities such as Avery and Calder, tends to be one of the last stretches of road to be opened up after seasonal closures during winter.
Historically Public Works has targeted the weeks before Memorial Day to have the road opened up, but after some of the harshest conditions in recent memory it took nearly a month longer than usual.
Public Works administrative assistant Jessica Stutzke explained what caused the delay.
“Due to the harsh conditions this winter and spring, we had several issues with sinkholes, various rock and mudslides, and several downed trees,” Stutzke said. “We had a washout, a culvert failure, as well as the work at Tunnel 34. All of this, plus the normal snow removal that we do in the area to punch the road open. So quite a bit more than usual.”
Stutzke also told the News-Press that in years past, it was normal to see five to 10 downed trees in the area — this year they cleared 150 downed trees.
Tunnel 34 had suffered a partial collapse near one of the tunnel entrances at some point during the winter season, but wasn’t discovered until early April — which required several repairs and then the stamp of approval from the Idaho Transportation Department in order for it to be reopened.
Even with the repairs, Cason still plans on completing other repairs on the tunnel in order to ensure its longevity.
“The tunnel is repaired and it has been inspected by ITD,” Stutzke said. “While they gave us the green light to open it up, we want to do some other — more permanent — repairs to the tunnel. We anticipate that happening either later in the season or next year depending on some outside funding sources.”
Cason would like everyone who traverses Moon Pass to know that roadway and shoulder areas are still very soft, and with this weekend’s forecasted rains, the road will likely be very muddy and slick.
“I would like to thank our crews for their hard work opening up Moon Pass for the season and making it safe for travel,” Cason said. “They repaired more damage than usual due to harsh winter and wet spring conditions. We would also like to thank the public for obeying the road closure signs and barricades during the closure, and for their patience with the weather-related delays.”
For more information, please contact Jim Cason, Shoshone County Public Works director at 208-753-5475.
