Mariposa, CA…The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is making ongoing emergency repairs and engaging in rehabilitation work on State Route 140 in the Ferguson Fire burn scar – from Briceburg to the Yosemite National Park boundary. The Ferguson Fire ravaged areas on and near SR-140 both inside and outside Yosemite in summer 2018, creating a need for repairing and replacing culverts (drains), removing and/or trimming potentially hazardous trees and doing roadside slope maintenance.

This $6.1 million project was awarded to Crook Logging, Inc. This project, which started construction in November 2018, was needed immediately to prevent and mitigate the loss and/or impairment of life, health, property and essential services.

One-way traffic control is being used and motorists should expect 10-20 minute delays. Work will occur day and night through April 2019. Occasional full road closures may be needed for short-duration intervals during rock scaling and removal to protect public and worker safety.

Caltrans District 10 is also co-piloting a weather monitoring program with the National Weather Service’s Hanford office to protect motorists and infrastructure on SR-140 in the Ferguson Fire scar. When more than 1 inch of rain per hour is in the forecast for multiple hours then Caltrans will pre-emptively close SR-140.

This occurred from 2 a.m. on November 29, 2018, through 12 p.m. (noon) on November 30, 2018, and proved worthwhile as three-to-four mudslides occurred overnight. The closure helped keep motorists safe and allowed Caltrans crews a chance to safely clear and re-open the road.

The Ferguson Fire started on July 13, 2018, in Mariposa County and burned more than 96,900 acres causing power outages, roadway damage, and complete roadway closures.

The burnt vegetation and trees have exposed the slope for potential erosion, mud flow, slip-out and rock fall during the rainy season.

Slope stabilization measures, drainage repairs and removal of burnt trees are required to protect the roadway prior to the upcoming winter season.

This work is is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/ or materials and construction related issues.

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For the safety of workers and other motorists, please Be Work Zone Alert.

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