SR-17 Highway Near Mesa Closed After Rockslide

Drivers heading towards Othello and other close areas will be without the use of State Route 17 after a late night-early morning rockslide resulted in one of the lanes being partially blocked by a large slice of the hillside and rocks. The slide occurred between Mileposts 9 and 10, not far from Mesa.

Franklin County Sheriff's say the highway is closed near Mesa, with detours, until State Geologists and Department of Transportation officials can assess the stability of the hillside. That's expected sometime Tuesday.

Deputies didn't indicate any accidents, damage or injuries due to the slide, but the highway will remain closed in that area until the slide is cleared, and officials are satisfied the hillside is stable enough to allow traffic to resume travel.