Relentless stormy weather contributed to a mudslide that forced temporary closure of State Route 140 between Mariposa and Yosemite National Park.
By Bob Highfill
District 10 information officer
To say this winter was challenging would be an understatement.
On the heels of several consecutive years of wildfires, a seemingly unending parade of severe winter storms and atmospheric river events swept through the state from New Year’s Eve into April. These storms brought flooding, mudslides and other hardships to many who call California home and the millions who travel every day on the state’s transportation network.
Even under tremendous stress, Caltrans’ functional units continued their commitment to be a people-first organization that keeps the traveling public safe and moving.
Caltrans Maintenance performed tirelessly every day to quell numerous weather-related emergencies. In District 10, which encompasses eight counties in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada, the calls to duty included clearing drainage systems to relieve flooding; setting up chain controls and road closures with our partners at the California Highway Patrol; removing fallen trees, snow, and ice; and clearing mudslides and rockslides.
Caltrans was able to clear the slide by the end of March, leaving this clear path for motorists.
District 10 photoStorms affected the Merced River Canyon in Mariposa County, an area susceptible to mudslides and rockslides due to its steep slopes adjacent to State Route 140, an important two-lane highway that serves visitors to Yosemite National Park, the park’s employees, and the surrounding communities.
On March 15, a slide occurred approximately 15 miles east of Briceburg. The amount of material that spilled onto the highway and the tight roadway at the location necessitated a hard closure of State Route 140 between Foresta and El Portal roads for public safety.
Caltrans, in collaboration with the CHP and local partners, set up a detour for motorists to travel around the slide area, and participated with the county’s Emergency Operations Center to inform key stakeholders.
Caltrans’ Merced Maintenance team, led by Superintendent Dave Taylor, and construction partner, Access Limited, deployed an excavator to scale the slope, as well as trucks and other equipment to haul away the material. The initial estimate was one-way traffic control would be required for two weeks before the highway could be fully opened. But Caltrans’ swift and safe actions far exceeded that goal.
On March 28, the slide had been removed, the slope had been stabilized, and both directions of Route 140 were reopened to motorists. There currently is little to no sign that a slide ever occurred.
This is just one of hundreds of examples this winter where Caltrans honored its mission to provide a safe and reliable transportation network for everyone, no matter the challenges.
As Caltrans Director Tony Tavares stated in his message on Feb. 14, “Nothing brings out Caltrans’ best than when we’re responding to Mother Nature’s worst!”