8-24-2023 4:51pm

US 82 Back Open After Second Rock Slide in a Year

Chris Edwards Editor

U.S. 82 rock slide between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft caused the closure of the roadway late Wednesday evening until late Thursday afternoon.

U.S. 82 was temporarily closed between High Rolls and Alamogordo due to a rock slide just west of the tunnel requiring a Detour to N.M. 244 to U.S. 70. Reduce speed and drive cautiously on this reopened roadway.

Fresnal road remains open as the alternative route to light, single vehicle traffic ONLY No heavy trucks, trailers, RV's, etc.

High Rolls Mountain Park Elementary School was closed Thursday and students had to submit to remote learning due to the rock slide on Hwy 82.

The High Rolls Mountain Park school bus was unable to pick up the Chaparral and High School students.

In addition to the roadway being damaged and needing repair, a water line also was damaged, and the City of Alamogordo had to send work crews in to repair the line.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation sent crews in to assist with the boulder and rock removal.

This makes the second time this year that a significant rock slide has occurred on this US roadway connecting Alamogordo to Cloudcroft and beyond.

In January, a rock slide in this same area shut down U.S. 82 to Cloudcroft for days impacting business and tourism. Then, for a week in June, crews worked to remove potentially dangerous rocks and addressed further safety concerns in that area.

Recent rains may have been a factor. Earlier this year a geotechnical engineer did an assessment on the area following the prior slide.

At that time they reported, “Overall that area’s very stable. The rocks have been there thousands of years, maybe millions.”

It was reported at the time that the New Mexico Department of Transportation crews may do what’s called “rock scaling” on Highway 82, to remove loose rock. Other long-term projects could also come.

They reported at the time thatfuture projects more than likely will be some kind of concrete draping system, or what the NMDOT calls rock bolts, basically large nails that go into the face of the mountain to stabilize these huge boulders.

As evident last night. drivers should pay attention to warning signs and follow the speed limits, and of course remain cautious and vigilant when traveling this transit corridor between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft.

U.S 82 is back open and schools and school bus service will resume on Friday pending no further issues.