Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
A rockslide has blocked the two-lane river roadway that connects Sundance Saloon to Buckskin State Park north of Parker, AZ.
The boulders fell from the steep mountainside adjacent to the road after a recent storm. The Parker area has received almost three-quarters its average annual rainfall in just two weeks.
The County Highway Department Director said the road may be closed for several days due to employee safety concerns caused by potential instability on the mountainside. La Paz County District 2 Supervisor King Clapperton said he drove to the location today and described it as “dangerous”.
“I have requested a professional engineer’s evaluation of the entire section of the roadway mountain shoulders,” he said. “In the meantime we are asking everyone to please stay away from the area due to continuing rock crumble. Even a small falling rock can kill or injure.”
For some years the roadway was closed completely to traffic. In the past some proposals have included a bike path instead.
Photos via King Clapperton
Guess the fence didn’t help
That’s crazy
It was just a matter of time
Didn’t see that coming. Ugh. Always cringed going around that corner. Even a chain link fence didn’t make me feel any better.
Jonathan Ryan and Danielle Robinson it ruined the road!!
That will close it for another two years like last time
A bike path instead??? If it’s not safe for autos, why would it be safe for bikes? What am I missing. …..???
Thera Trosclair we just a barley got to drive on this road last time we were out there.
This is up river, but right down close to the river, from my place, a couple miles. All that rain, why I worry abt my property which sits on a cliff.
As if the chain link fence was ever going to help! Lol!
Won’t be jogging down there
Wow old school road but locals still Cruz it 🙂
Those are some really big rocks…
It was only a matter of time!
Look at that boulder. That’s a nice boulder.
Have to get there by boat now!! No biggy…
Clean it up, monitor the hillside, and open it back up…..if they closed PCH because of landslide risk the prettiest highway in the west would be closed. This is a scenic highway and worth keeping open and monitor it during inclement weather. Thought they prematurely closed it prior.
This road needs to be closed Permanently.
I bet it was that piece of the very corner that always look like it was going to fall, I’m surprised it took so long
Oh no!! && we were even talking about that :((
Wow luckily no one was driving by!
Again?
please don’t close the road again !!!
Used to ride my bike to work along that death road…lol Always wondered when it would let go and how much….truthfully….look up….that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
WOW If one looks at the last pic, BIG GAP that will be the one to really WORRY ABOUT, going around the turn. That will change the course of the river. I would not want to be, staying across the river at Echo Lodge.
Wow!!! Crazy!!!!
Wow glad no body was hurt
Must be the same corner, where I swear it was gonna scrape the school bus window.
Wow. Haven’t been to Sundance for a long time. Miss you Jim and Nick Shubin.
Just drove through there the other day. Always an eerie feeling with the rocks hanging over the roadway.
Lets just hope it stabilizes because that rock has a huge crack all the way up to the top. I wouldn’t want to be below if it fell, who knows if its too dangerous they could put a boom log across the river like they have up by the dam. I am up river from that and not being able to get to Fox’s or Roadrunner by boat would be a bummer!
Oh Noooo!!!!
Bummer!
Wow. Glad I wasn’t on it.exactly where is that area.
OKAY THE STORM WAS 2 WEEKS AGO OR MORE. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN?
This just happened Wednesday.
Whoa!
If rockslides were a reason to close roads, there would be detour signs around the entire state of Colorado
no it doesnt
Open the road