Highway 70 closed due to slides UPDATED
UPDATE 9:31 a.m. Caltrans counted at least 13 slides that occurred overnight following the storm that moved over the area. There is approximately 14,500 cubic yards of material currently on the roadway between post mile 18.75 to post mile 30.5.
Area maintenance crews are clearing the debris from the roadway but according to the National Weather Service, this area could see scattered thunderstorms through Thursday night, which could bring additional slides.
Caltrans announced that Highway 70 is closed this morning, June 12, from the Greenville Wye to Jarbo Gap due to multiple slides that are completely blocking the roadway. The timed openings (which had been 6:30 am., 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.) have been stopped until further notice. Motorists should use an alternate route.
Caltrans District 2 will provide additional information as it becomes available. For the most up-to-date roadway information, please visit QuickMap.dot.ca.gov. 
With all the damage from the Dixie and other fires, I wonder if it is possible for Highway 70 to be safe for Caltrans and contractor workers. I also question if it can once again be made a reliable road for the rest of us.
This highway is a key highway for the public, non public to use. It’s crucial for this highway to reopen for the railroad, pg&e and will reopen at all costs. It’s been plagued by many slides since the fires. You can thank all the contractors, Cal Trans, Union Pacific, PG&E, local residents and volunteers for their ongoing efforts to preserve the beauty of this canyon and allow us to pass thru
Absolutely just takes time.
California has maintained Highway 70 for almost 100 years, and reopened it relatively quickly after serious floods in 1986 and 1998, and now, suddenly, we can’t figure out how to keep it open? The road was built to service the railroad and the power generators and is still very necessary. This closure is almost 6 months now, and calls for more investment. There’s nothing that more political and administrative will, increased funding, and more contractors can’t accomplish. Let’d do it!
Exactly
This entire section of Hwy 70 and its watershed was destroyed by fire. There is literally nothing left to hold back the hillsides from erosion caused by this years storms. This will be an ongoing battle to repair until the canyon becomes stabilized. Could and probably will take years.
TRUE.
Geologic time includes now. Sometimes it gets more active. Bottom line, we are at the mercy of the Earth.
Quick follow-up, for a bit of cultural commentary on human effect of the Earth, watch Das Rad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOPwXNFU7oU
Yes we need to keep 70 open. Besides railroad and utility access, many depend on it for work commute, medical, etc. In time plant life will help stabilize and the work being done will payoff.
My husband is one of the brave men who’ve been hard at work clearing landslides, rockslides and even a couple of avalanches on that stretch of road since they began earlier this year. They’ve been working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day (they’ve now added a 2nd crew so it’s 24/7) since the first major slides came down around the first of March. He hasn’t been home in months, and if I want to see him, I have to drive 5 hours to Belden, which I have done. I was absolutely amazed at the size of the slide at Belden and how destroyed the hillsides are where the Dixie fire burned. Wish I could post photos. Every time it rains huge mud slides come down and bring tons of dirt, rocks and trees. It’s dangerous work, and every day he and the other crews are risking their lives trying to keep the road clear while they rebuild that hillside. Before he goes to work every day he calls me to let me know he loves me, just in case it’s his last day.