The Nevada Department of Transportation will begin emergency work on Jan. 20 to clear State Route 208 through the Wilson Canyon in Lyon County following a major landslide. 

On Jan. 10, a landslide and rockfall fell across roughly 400 feet of roadway through the Wilson Canyon, between Smith Valley and Yerington. The following morning, NDOT geotechnical engineers conducted an initial evaluation of the area, finding that the rockface remained unstable. In an effort to begin repairs as soon as safely possible, crews continued to evaluate the area using drone technology to assess any additional hazards potentially caused by recent storms.

NDOT has now finalized an emergency construction contract for repairs. Rockfall removal experts will first scale and remove remaining unstable rock to make the area safe for road repair work. Crews will then work 24-hours-a-day to remove several thousand cubic yards of rockfall which fell across the roadway and make any needed road surface repairs.

While NDOT hopes to temporarily open the road to one-way traffic over the coming weeks, an exact schedule to reopen the road is not finalized. In the meantime, the roadway will remain closed to through traffic between Hudson Aurora Road and State Route 339. NDOT will update community members on the roadway repairs via @NevadaDOTReno on Twitter and the news section of dot.nv.gov. Motorists can also visit NVRoads.com before driving for current highway conditions and controls.

Approximately 1,800 drivers travel through the area each day. While alternate routes are sparse in the rural area, potential highway options include accessing Yerington or Douglas County via U.S. 95A/U.S. 50 or U.S. 395 south and north of the area.
  
Heavy precipitation from recent winter storms has potential to bring water, snow, rock, mud and other potentially dangerous conditions to roadways regionwide.