Inslee Tours Union Gap To Assess Rattlesnake Ridge

Rattlesnake Ridge's impending landslide is getting the full court press from state and local agencies.

At first, information on the slide was very slow-moving. Now that multiple agencies are involved, local and state social media pages are updating up-to-the-minute information.

The landslide poised above the gap leaving town has put many commuters and nearby residents on high alert.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee visited the are over the weekend.

"We are monitoring the situation at Rattlesnake Ridge in Yakima County closely with our local partners," Inslee said Sunday.

The Washington Department of Transportation says their first priority is to protect the highway and ensure motorists avoid any obstacles on it the slide might drop into the roadway.

It was the transportation department that set up the 600 foot line of train cars to block any potential stray rocks and, so far just a few rocks have ended up on the closed portion of Thorp Road.

State officials say at the first sign of more movement or increased frequency of falling rock, I-82 will close.