Idaho Transportation Department—Elk City Slide Cleanup

The 2016 Elk City landslide unleashed 47 million pounds of mud, rock and debris on the Idaho 14, cutting off access in and out of a remote Idaho town, threatening all residents. ITD employees from all over the state came to help in the cleanup effort. The original slide loosened more than one hundred thousand cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris, 20 feet deep in places. Two months later, a second slide brought down more material and pushed what was already loose debris even closer to the highway. In all, the cleanup took about six months and cost about $3.5 million, but ultimately made residents safer through more reliable access in and out of the area.