A small landslide near Ebey’s Landing on Central Whidbey left one lane of the roadway blocked with dirt and debris before Island County road workers cleared the way Monday morning.

The workers were called to the site on Hill Road in Coupeville shortly after 7:30 a.m. and spent the next two hours scooping up dirt with heavy machinery and trucking it away as the rain continued to pour.

Some of the earth was pushed back to form a natural buffer in an effort to prevent more dirt from further entering the road. Connie Bowers, assistant county engineer, called the incident a “small surficial slide,” consisting of surface material breaking free and sliding forward largely intact down the hill.

The road was re-opened and county workers will continue to monitor the hillside, Bowers said, but didn’t expect more significant sliding there.

“This type of surficial slide, usually when it’s done, it’s done,” Bowers said.