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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Victims of Ashland sewage spill make their case ... It's been a wet winter — but not a record-setter ... Fierce winds delay Mt. Ashland opening; snow falling on passes ... Victims of Ashland sewage spill make their case ... It's been a wet winter — but not a record-setter ... Fierce winds delay Mt. Ashland opening; snow falling on passes ... SUTHERLIN Massive boulders blocking Douglas County road blasted with TNT The blocked road might not open until Sunday night Comment By Christopher Frisella The Register-Guard MailTribune.com By Christopher Frisella The Register-Guard Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 3:51 PM By Christopher Frisella The Register-Guard Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 3:51 PM » Social News A road crew is working to clear a massive rockfall that closed a Douglas County road west of Sutherlin. The mammoth boulders crashed down onto Tyee Road on Tuesday afternoon. Douglas County Public Works Director Robb Paul said the largest of the rocks measured about 40 feet high and 40 feet across. A contractor spent Wednesday drilling and inserting dynamite into a 30-foot-by-30-foot rock. Excavators started blasting about 7 a.m. Thursday, and the contractor was resuming drilling on the boulder about 9 a.m., Paul said. The contractor expected to blast the boulder a second time between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Once that rock is out of the way, the contractor can set to work on the largest boulder, which Paul expects to be cleared sometime Saturday. Workers then must clear away one more boulder, which is smaller — 20 feet by 20 feet — but still massive. Paul said Sunday evening is the soonest he expects the road to reopen. He estimated that the entire cleanup will cost the county about $50,000. The manager of a cafe several miles from the rockfall told The Roseburg News-Review that Tuesday’s slide occurred shortly after 3 p.m. Michael Tortorice, operations manager at the Lighthouse Center Bakery and Cafe, said the road was clear at 3 p.m. when a few employees drove home to the Lighthouse Center, about eight miles northwest of the bakery and a mile west of the rockfall. However, several other employees who left the bakery at 3:15 p.m. found the road blocked by the boulders. The bakery is at the intersection of Tyee Road and Fort McKay Road — east of the fall. “It’s huge. It’s amazing,” Tortorice told The News-Review. “It’s not even a rock, it’s like a whole landslide in the middle of the road. I’ve never seen anything like it.” By Christopher Frisella The Register-Guard MailTribune.com By Christopher Frisella The Register-Guard Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 3:51 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501