By Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee

A huge boulder that was blocking westbound Highway 50 in the mountains has been cleared from the roadway without dynamiting.

About 5am today the huge rock fell onto the single westbound lane of Highway 50 east of Twin Bridges.

A California Highway Patrol officer initially said that road crews will have to dynamite around daybreak to break up the boulder in small enough pieces for removal to get it off the pavement. However, the roadway has now been cleared, according to the CHP.

Dynamiting of the rock along the shoulder is expected to occur later today.