West Point, CA…The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will open eastbound and westbound State Route 26 (SR-26) from Higdon Road to the North Fork Mokelumne River Bridge, just west of West Point, following a 69-day full closure due to storm related damage. State Route 26 opened on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Final striping will be installed under a moving closure on Friday, April 21, 2017. For nearly three months, motorists in Amador and Calaveras Counties patiently endured up to 60-minute detours as Caltrans performed a variety of repairs, addressing a roadside slip-out, rockslide and culvert replacements.

Approximately three miles of SR-26 were originally closed following a roadside slip-out near Higdon Road in Calaveras County on February 10, 2017. The very next day, February 11, 2017, saw a rockslide cover the roadway just near the Amador/Calaveras County line. While addressing these slides, workers identified three damaged culverts and several additional areas of roadway failures within the road closure, further adding to the repairs needed to be done before SR-26 could be opened.

While removing debris from the rockslide fallout, workers identified overhead rock and debris deemed potentially hazardous to those at the work site below. On March 15, 2017, a controlled explosion was used to bring down the loose, threatening materials so that workers could resume their duties in a safe environment.

Inclement weather and cold temperatures were also contributing factors in completing this work, however, Caltrans and its partners at Ford Construction (Lodi, CA), Neil’s Controlled Blasting (Newcastle, CA) and Farwest Safety, Inc. (Lodi, CA) worked tirelessly to minimize the length of the highway closure and the impact on residents and motorists in the area.

While the total amount has not yet been tallied, an estimated $3.5 million was spent on this emergency maintenance project.

Caltrans would like to extend its appreciation to motorists and residents for their patience and cooperation during the full closure of SR-26 for these emergency maintenance repairs.

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For the safety of workers and other motorists, please Slow For the Cone Zone.

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www.dot.ca.gov