Loose Rocks Along Zimmerman Trail May Keep The Artery Closed For Quite Awhile

According to Billings Public Works 6000-7000 vehicles pass along the trail every day when open but at the moment only local residents whose homes are near the lower portion are allowed anywhere near the area.

Originally the plan was to reopen Zimmerman Trail on April 1st but more rocks slid of the rims onto the trail on Tuesday and an engineers assessment says that even the rock behind the portion that slid off is also unstable. At this point it's even too dangerous for city road crews to repair the damaged road and guard rail from Tuesday's rockslide.

The Montana Department of Transportation is seeking federal highway funds in order to hire a contractor to clear the remaining loose rock however there's still fear that this winter's temperature extremes may have loosened even more rock than is currently known about due to the contraction and expansion of the moisture inside the crevasses.

So unfortunately if you're one of the thousands of commuters who would normally take Zimmerman Trail neither Billings Public Works nor the MDT have a definitive date as to when the popular artery will be open again.