What do you do when a 200-ton rock blocks a roadway?
Blow it up, of course!
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Incessant rain this season across the northwestern U.S. caused widespread infrastructure damage.
Earlier this week a massive boulder broke loose and fell onto a highway in Southern Oregon.
A big rock blocks Oregon 138E east of Glide. There's no ETA to reopen. Use alternate routes like Oregon 62 or 58. Details on TripCheck. pic.twitter.com/esgPVFcRrC
— Oregon DOT (@OregonDOT) March 30, 2017
When the sun finally came up Thursday, crews were able to get a better idea of what exactly they were dealing with.
New BIG ROCK (12 feet tall, 200 tons) pictures from Oregon 138E, east of Glide. Stay tuned to https://t.co/SsqxkwoOBg & 511 for updates. pic.twitter.com/uqLiTIPBMj
— Oregon DOT (@OregonDOT) March 30, 2017
A 200-ton boulder! Measuring 12 feet tall, this behemoth was too big to simply remove– so crews started looking for an alternative.
A Boulder Solution
With the help of contractor Weekly Bros. Inc. and the blasting services of Austin Powder, the massive rock was reduced to a much more manageable size…
Things that make you go BOOM!The BIG ROCK removal on Oregon 138E is progressing well. Roseburg contractor Weekly Bros., Inc., with the blasting service of Austin Powder, another Roseburg-based company, has reduced the 200-ton rock to rubble.ODOT estimates one lane will reopen late tonight. If you need to travel from Interstate 5 to U.S. 97 during daylight hours today, we still advise you to use alternate routes, including Oregon 62 or Oregon 58. More clean-up work and paving is necessary Friday and through the weekend, if not longer. Expect delays and traffic control once the highway reopens.
Posted by Oregon Department of Transportation on Thursday, March 30, 2017
How’s that for problem solving!
The 200-ton boulder was reduced to rubble and by Thursday night one of the lanes reopened.
And my mom said it was a bad idea to play with fire.
For WeatherNation — Meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo