WALTON, Ore. (KMTR) -- Crews are making good progress clearing a large landslide from OR 126W (Florence-Eugene Hwy) between Mapleton and Walton.
The highway remains closed but crews will continue working through the night in an effort to reopen the highway tonight. The crews will remain on the job as long as conditions remain safe.
The slide occurred Thursday, when 500 to 700 cubic yards of mud, rock, trees and debris fell across the roadway. The trees include some that are four and six feet in diameter.
Overnight another 500 to 700 cubic yards of mud, trees and debris were deposited on the highway, doubling the size of the slide and doubling the scope of the cleanup.
A contractor is using a large excavator and a loader on the west side of the slide. A fleet of five dump trucks is being used to remove the material from the highway.
On the east side of the slide, ODOT crews are using two loaders and five dump trucks to remove material.
ODOT has committed all available resources to the clearing project and is doing everything possible to reopen the highway tonight.
In the meantime, a detour remains in place for motorists traveling between the coast and the valley in Lane County. That detour directs westbound motorists on Poodle Creek Road, then west on OR 36 to Mapleton and then back on OR 126. Eastbound motorists will reverse the route.
