Route 611 should open next week in Easton's College Hill

Route 611 at the foot of College Hill should open next week, according to Easton's public works director.

The road has been closed intermittently since retaining wall on the hillside above gave way in May. The failure of the rain-soaked wall along Mattes Lane allowed rocks to tumble to the road below.

Repairs have been extremely difficult due to the steep terrain above. The project initially scheduled for a few weeks dragged on for months as contractors struggled to buttress the wall without allowing heavy equipment to tumble downhill.

The city closed the road for fear rocks and debris could fall on cars below during the project, according to city public works Director Dave Hopkins.

A retaining wall is now in place, although further reinforcement is planned for the base of the wall, according to a worker on the job site.

"Based on the progress of work to date, we believe that the roadway will be opened to traffic by next week," Hopkins said Tuesday in an email.

The closure has been inconvenient not just to travelers but to homes along the detour route.

"May we please have an update on this story?" commented one reader on Nov. 29 to a story on the construction posted Oct. 22 predicting the road would open in two to four weeks.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@express-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

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Route 611 should open next week in Easton's College Hill