Abstract: It is easy for a chicken claw ditch topography to cause the upper subgrade deformation instability and differential settlement，especially when a high rockfill embankment is built in its upper parts，the stability problem would be more prominent． At present there is no research result in the subject． For this reason，based on a mountain area highway construction project，the numerical calculation was carried out with an emphasis on the stability and different strengthening technical effect of the chicken claw ditch high rockfill embankment． The study found that such subgrade displacement deformation was greater than the general embankment，and the design check should be enhanced and the corresponding construction measures should also be taken． The changes in slope，width and height etc of the embankment would cause obvious change in road shoulder and slope toe，as well the internal stress distribution． Step method，the reinforcement，grouting and dynamic compaction were analyzed，and the step method was selected for high rockfill embankment strengthening． Calculation results showed that the method could ensure embankment slope safety factor to meet the requirements of the stability． Considering economy，it was suggested that this method should be used to reinforce such embankment．