By Martin J. Kidston
The Montana Highway Department will be closing down a larger section of Highway 2 over concerns related to a shift in the slope above the Hillside Trailer Court, a spokesman said today.
Project Manager for the Highway Department Gary Berg said that Highway 2 will be closed from the corner of Ninth Avenue West and First Street to Kmart. Motorists can access businesses on Highway 2 using the Second Street detour.
Starting this afternoon, were going to shut down the hill because the slide is moving farther out into the other lanes, Berg said. For public safety, we have to shut it down.
Berg said the department was unsure how long the hill section of Highway 2 would be closed, but he did say they are attempting to get the west side of the hill open before winter.
Well try to get traffic back on portions of the highway by winter, Berg said. It will depend on the weather.
In order to stop the slide, which is taking place on the east slope of the hill, the Highway Department will build a flatter slope. The new slope should stabilize the slide, Berg said.
Everything else is on schedule, Berg added. Access will be kept open to businesses, and as soon as we can, well have traffic back on Highway 2 from Kmart to the mall.
Motorists should expect to use the Second Street detour until further notice.
