Ups and downs in the temperature are being blamed for triggering a rock slide early this morning in Richmond, Vermont. A boulder tumbled from a ledge and came crashing onto the shoulder of I-89 North in the French Hill section of Richmond.
Vermont Agency of Transportation workers on-site said they believe water made its way into cracks in the nearby ledges and popped the rock loose after cycles of freezing and thawing. The workers described the chunk as being the size of a large pick-up truck.
The good news is the tumbling rock did not hurt anyone or damage any vehicles.
"It was a good-sized chunk," said Mark Meunier of VTrans. "I haven't seen one that big that's come down, so it was a little bit of a surprise to me."
Travel on 89 North was down to one lane as VTrans broke apart the boulder. Meunier said the agency will be scanning the ledges for other potential trouble spots.
