Rockslide closes Columbia River Highway

An extensive rock slide just east of Rowena Point has forced closure of U.S. Highway 30, the Historic Columbia River Highway in the immediate area, ODOT officials said Tuesday

A large amount of rock fell from a wall next to the highway in the area at about 7:30 Sunday night. Fortunately, no one was in the area when it slid.

Daylight revealed an extensive rockfall, about 200 feet long, scattered across the highway. Some of the rocks are so large that ODOT will have to bring in special equipment to handle its removal.

In the meantime, ODOT is bringing in geology specialists to examine the area for potential future rockfall and to insure that cleanup crews will be safe performing their duties. At some point in the near future, rock scalers will descend from the top to remove any additional rock that appears to be a hazard.

In the meantime, the historic highway remains closed to all vehicles, including bicycles, and hikers in the vicinity of the slide. The closure may remain in place for as long as two to three weeks, officials said.