A landslide took out a portion of Highway 95 in between Council and McCall in March. The road has been closed ever since, but the community has rallied to provide an alternative.
The Weiser River Trail is the longest rail line converted into a trail in Idaho, it features 85-miles of non motorized use. However, the Friends of the Weiser River Trail opened up a one-mile section to help people get around the construction site.
"As we go through each community we are part of that community," said Leonard Messersmith, the President of the Friends of the Weiser River Trail. "We try to be as helpful as we can. This is a wonderful thing and I think we have done the right thing by opening this up.
Braun-Jensen Inc. out of Cambridge has been contracted by the Idaho Transportation Department to repair Highway 95. However, this local company has two of their workers performing eight hour shifts driving people back and forth in a side-by-side.
Ron Keller is one of the Weiser River Trail taxi drivers for Braun-Jensen and he told us he puts 125 miles on the side-by side everyday. The shuttle runs from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and around 100 people use the shuttle on a daily basis.
"I never dreamed I’d be a taxi driver, never," said Keller. "It's been relaxing and the people are really appreciative of us doing this."
Kirk and Lisa Kundrick live in Council, but they work in New Meadows and McCall. Without the bypass it would take them four hours to drive all the way around.
"It’s amazing the cars are lining the whole road and the word is out about how efficient it is," said Kirk Kundrick. "It is working to get everybody through in a timely manner."
Mountain Community Transit opened a bus line heading north to Valley county from the construction site, neighbors have helped neighbors and what could have been a huge inconvenience showcases the resiliency of rural Idaho.
Meanwhile, the Idaho Transportation Department says the road could be back open by the beginning of May. This past week crews installed a retaining wall and this upcoming week they will re-pave Highway 95.
The shuttle has run for 18 days helping workers get to mill north of the landslide. There are a lot of people that work and live on the opposite side of the construction site. We also met a pair of ladies who used the shuttle to take their cat to the veterinarian.
"I know there are a lot of businesses affected by opening this up in a positive manner," said Messersmith. "We are glad to be part of that."
The Weiser River Trail provides a place for hikers, bikers and horseback riders to enjoy. I can tell you from experience that biking this section is pretty fun as the trail starts in the pines and goes all the way down to Weiser. Shuttles are available in Cambridge and Weiser.
The Friends of the Weiser River Trail is a non-profit and this trail was deeded to them in 1997. There mission is to preserve the integrity of the Pacific and Idaho Northern Railroad corridor, manage a public recreational trail and protect natural habitats along the corridor.
