Collapse Shuts Mountain Highway

Two days after a crack first appeared in a mountain highway connecting Idaho and Wyoming, the road collapsed in a "catastrophic landslide," officials said. The road connecting Victor, Idaho, with Jackson, Wyoming, was closed at the time because of a mudslide in another area, and no one was injured in the collapse Saturday. Wyoming's Department of Transportation said it expects a long closure for repairs, CNN reports. A spokesperson said an alternate route between the two cities is 60 miles longer, per the AP, adding "quite a bit to any commute." Many people who work in Jackson or Grand Teton National Park live in Idaho.

The initial crack, 8 inches deep in spots, ran across all lanes in the Teton Pass corridor. A patch was applied and traffic resumed until the mudslide again shut the road on Friday. Crews were working to establish a detour at the time. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon declared an emergency, which his aides said would help with obtaining Federal Highway Administration resources for the repairs. Citing the economic impact, as well, he said the state is working on "a long-term solution to rebuild this critical roadway." (More mudslide stories.)