Arnold, CA…Caltrans District 10 gave the following update yesterday on their progress. “The gate at the Mt. Reba turnoff remains closed, and that is as far as folks can go by vehicle. After removing snow on SR-4 near Lake Alpine, a Caltrans’ maintenance crew saw that a washout had occurred, the result of a culvert being plugged this past winter. The culvert was cleared, the structural repairs have been made and the road is scheduled to be patched this week. Once repairs are complete, the goal is to continue moving east and open SR-4 to the east end of Lake Alpine by the end of this week. Of course, weather, resources, road conditions and other factors always play a role in the progress of clearing mountain passes.

STATUS OF THE MOUNTAIN PASSES IN DISTRICT 10

Here is an update on the four mountain passes that are located in District 10 and close for the winter season. There is no estimated opening date for the passes that are still being cleared, due to the snow, debris and potential repairs that await maintenance crews:

** MONITOR PASS/State Route 89 (SR-89): Is now open.

** SONORA PASS/SR-108: The Kennedy Meadows gate remains closed, and that is as far as folks can go by vehicle.

** TIOGA PASS/SR-120: Yosemite National Park handles the clearing of the roadway in the park, while Caltrans District 9 clears Tioga Pass east of the park. District 9 has cleared to Warren Creek, encountering snow 8 to 15 feet high on the road – and snowdrifts up to 50 feet in some locations. Caltrans’ District 9 recently flew over Tioga Pass, so check out its video below for a bird’s-eye view.

** EBBETTS PASS/SR-4: The gate at the Mt. Reba turnoff remains closed, and that is as far as folks can go by vehicle. After removing snow on SR-4 near Lake Alpine, a Caltrans’ maintenance crew saw that a washout had occurred, the result of a culvert being plugged this past winter. The culvert was cleared, the structural repairs have been made and the road is scheduled to be patched this week. Once repairs are complete, the goal is to continue moving east and open SR-4 to the east end of Lake Alpine by the end of this week.

Of course, weather, resources, road conditions and other factors always play a role in the progress of clearing mountain passes.