BENEWAH CO., Idaho – Highway 5 from St. Maries to Plummer remains closed due to slides and an unstable road base.
The Idaho Department of Transportation said large cracks and 2-foot vertical drops have developed in the roads.
Construction trucks are being allowed in and out of the area, but others cars are still restricted. The situation could stay that way for up to another week.
The typical commute for drivers is typically around 25 minutes one way. The closure has caused that commute to increase to an hour and a half for some drivers. Commuters now have to go around through Coeur d'Alene and down Highway 95.
Sabine Krier saw images of Highway 5 and knew her commute would become dicey.
"You immediately think about what alternatives do you have," said Krier.
Krier lives in St. Maries, but works in Plummer. Since Highway 5 is temporarily out of the picture, the next logical drive would be to head up Highway 3 to I-90, drive to Coeur d'Alene and then head down I-95 to Plummer.
That made Krier get creative.
"So then I thought, 'There's a bicycle trail' and I have a bicycle," said Krier.
Krier is now driving to Heyburn State Park, parking her car, then riding her bike the rest of the way. It is still an hour and a half commute one way, though.
The Idaho Transportation Department said the slide area on Highway 5 continues to move today, but has slowed down slightly. Crews are now focused on getting out dirt and debris from the area so that contractors can get to work on a temporary one-way around the slide.
The sooner the better for folks like Krier, who are experiencing first-hand what happens when you practically divide a county in half.
"I'm pretty anxious. It's definitely good for me. I feel a little fitter," said Krier.
ITD hopes to have a temporary fix in place by Wednesday of next week.