The Nevada Department of Transportation will open commute-hour one-lane traffic on State Route 208 through Wilson Canyon in Lyon County as repairs continue following a major landslide.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 13, the currently-closed section of roadway will open to traffic daily from 5am-8am and 5pm-8pm. Drivers should anticipate up to 20-minute travel delays as pilot cars alternate directions of traffic. Reduced speeds will be in place entering the work zone. The roadway may be closed for driver and worker safety during severe weather. Outside of these hours, the roadway will remain closed between Hudson Aurora Road and State Route 339.

In coming weeks, NDOT will work to open the section of highway to travel during additional daytime hours.

Drivers are asked to avoid unnecessary travel in the area. Alternate routes are sparse in the rural area. Highway detour routes include U.S. 395, U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A between the Yerington and Douglas County areas.

On Jan. 10, a landslide and rockfall fell across roughly 400 feet of State Route 208 through the Wilson Canyon, between Smith Valley and Yerington. 

February 7, 2023 Update:

This past week, trained rock removal experts have scaled the slope to remove unstable rock from SR-208 landslide in Wilson Canyon.

The rockslide fell across roughly 400 feet of roadway through the Wilson Canyon, between Smith Valley and Yerington on Jan. 10.

Crews will continue to break apart and haul off the large boulders and earth over the coming weeks. Once the large debris area is cleared, roadway repairs will then be made.

While NDOT hopes to temporarily open the road to one-way traffic in future weeks, an exact schedule to reopen the road is not finalized.

In the meantime, the roadway remains closed to through traffic between Hudson Aurora Road and State Route 339.  

Alternate routes are sparse in the rural area. Highway detour routes include using U.S. 395, U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A to travel between the Yerington and Douglas County areas.

The Lyon County Office of Emergency Management also reminds residents that Mason Pass Road is only recommended for high clearance and four-wheel drive vehicles.

January 27, 2023 Update: 

Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) crews continue the rock removal at SR-208 in Wilson Canyon earlier this month.

This week, crews reportedly cleared almost 1,000 cubic yards of rockfall.

SR-208 remains closed to through traffic between  Hudson Aurora Road and SR-339.

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Original Story from January 25, 2023:

Crews are continuing emergency work on a rockslide blocking State Route 208 in Lyon County.

The rockslide fell across roughly 400 feet of roadway through the Wilson Canyon, between Smith Valley and Yerington on Jan. 10.

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. 

While alternate routes are sparse in the rural area, potential options include accessing Yerington or Douglas County via U.S. 95A/U.S. 50 or U.S. 395 south and north of the area.

(NDOT contributed to this report.)