Kaser Ridge is a basalt cliff located next to Interstate 84/Columbia River Highway east of The Dalles. In the past two years, several rockfall events have occurred where rocks fell onto the roadway. Two notable events included a crash in January 2023, involving two commercial trucks and a passenger vehicle, and another crash in August 2023, involving a commercial truck. A third event happened in January 2024, where a boulder reached the road but did not cause a crash. Before early 2023, no rockfall events were reported on this part of the roadway.
The Region 4 geology team, working with our Unstable Slopes Program, found the rockfall started from a rock chute at milepost 93.42. Currently, there is no system to catch falling rocks before they reach the road, and more rockfall events are expected because of the type of basalt rock in this area.
ODOT will build a rockfall catchment system to help contain the hillside and keep rocks from falling onto I-84 at this location. The goal is to make the road safer by reducing rockfall events and maintenance costs, and make this section of I-84 stronger against earthquakes and weather changes.