High Country residents heading west on Interstate 40 will still have to take the detour as crews are still working to clear the highway after a rockslide closed the road nearly two months ago.

DOT officials said crews will take today and tomorrow off in observance of Christmas, but will return to work on Saturday.  Engineers said crews will continue clearing vegetation on Saturday and will set up lighting so that work can continue at night during the 24-hour clean-up effort.

Crews are also planning to install steel rock bolts into the mountainside where the rockslide occurred.  Two drill crews will work around the clock to drill holes for 590 rock bolts that will be installed as part of the final phase of the project to stabilize the mountainside so the interstate can be reopened.

Officials are now projecting I-40 could reopen in March.