A slide-prone section of Arkansas 23 in Franklin County is once again closed to traffic.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department announced on Tuesday both lanes of the highway, known as the Pig Trail, are closed in a 3.2-mile section north of Cass. The highway could remain closed for weeks.
"A slope supporting the roadbed on the east side of the highway continues to slide and has caused large cracks to form in the travel lanes, rendering both impassable," said Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the Highway Department. "This section of state Highway 23 will remain closed until repairs can be made."
Both lanes of the same section of Arkansas 23 were closed because of a slide in late May, but one lane was opened Thursday after workers stabilized it. Heavy rain saturated the ground and caused the slide to continue, and the open lane was closed as a result.
The slide location is 19 miles north of Interstate 40 and 5.5 miles north of Cass. About 700 feet of the highway was affected by the slide.
The closing includes a section of Arkansas 23 between the Mulberry Mountain Lodge to the south and Fly Gap Road on the north end.
A detour route has been established and electronic message boards have been placed to warn motorists of the closing at various points along Arkansas 23, as well as immediately north of Interstate 40 and on Arkansas 215, which intersects Arkansas 23 at Cass.
NW News on 06/17/2015