Massive boulder blocks Hwy. 50
There is no estimated time when the boulder that fell on Highway 50 will be removed. Photo/Theresa Valdez
Updated 7:43pm:
The road is clear and open. Snow is the only obstacle now.
Updated 4:47pm:
A boulder the size of a motor home is blocking Highway 50 east of Wrights Lake.
“They’ll need dynamite or an explosive to move it,” California Highway Patrol Officer Quinn Cuthbertson told Lake Tahoe News.
The boulder was split in half a little before 4:30pm Wednesday. The debris is being cleared.
For now traffic is down to one lane, with delays in both directions.
The boulder landed in the westbound lane about 10:30am Jan. 13. It struck two vehicles, however there were no injuries.
It has been raining and hailing in the area today. Chain controls went up about 1pm between Twin Bridges and Meyers.
Cuthbertson said this area is prone to rock and mud slides, as well as avalanches.
–Lake Tahoe News staff report
This was really something to see. We had to wait for 40 minutes (at 2 PM) for our turn through the Pilot Car leading us down one lane.
Fortunately, everyone was patient. This is going to be a huge task for CalTrans. Thank you LTN for keeping us in the loop.
That’s it! just build a TUNNEL through that recurring trouble spot and eliminate the traffic down here in the basin once and for all.
Anyone? Cave Rock? Tunnels have been a solution to this for years..
Yep, that’s a big rock!
They’ll need dynamite or an explosive to move it,”
Isn’t dynamite and explosive?! LOL
Robin, there were plans decades ago to cut a tunnel from Twin Bridges to Meyers. It was brought up again for discussion about 7 years ago (as I recall) but CALTRANS decided to upgrade US 50 and keep the maintenance station on Echo; Very expensive to cut through Granite these days.
I think CALTRANS is still considering Snow Sheds on Echo at the trouble spots.
As usual had the powers that be done the tunnel back then it would be finished and paid for and well.
Lucky no one got hurt when this rock came down.
Robin, don’t forget tunnels have a lot more maintenance than you’d think. Also, apparently cars blow out a lot of carbon monoxide and a tunnel that long would have to have a LOT of ventilation. One other note, up here you’d be going through granite, in San Francisco they are doing a 1 or 2 mile long tunnel from Market to Chinatown maybe to North Beach, that ground is soft, last I heard its running over a billion. Apparently its that expensive to dig tunnels now a days. Its not like you can line up a lot of labor and just run people till they die anymore, which is how things got done in the old days.
This occurred near Wrights Road. Nowhere near the summit. This is West of Strawberry. A tunnel is a stupid idea. This area was buried by several fires in the 90s, thus the very unstable soil.
blue…”A tunnel is a stupid idea.” You are a treat!
TY Louis TY rock
Well it is stupid. No offense to the proposer. I said the idea was stupid.
blue…you missed the point entirely…
Louis and rock both said the tunnel idea was stupid. They just managed to say it with a bit of pertinent info.
As you know I am a Special Education teacher/analyst and therefore do not personally take offense at anything said on this post
Excuse me Mr Blue. We can’t have you going around calling ideas stupid. You may offend the stupid people that come up with them. We are going to need you to tone down your comments. You may trigger someone…
blu…FYI…Special Ed is not limited to idiots
Albert Einstein failed simple math.
I actually don’t think the idea of a tunnel is stupid, just currently impractical due to costs. A mass transit tunnel (think hyper-loop) may someday in the future be feasible, but not currently for individual internal combustion automobiles. Also in the future costs may be different, we don’t know what new tech will come out in the decades ahead.
Oh and the whole Einstein failed simple math is apparently not true. If you know it to be true I’d like to know your source.
Lastly Robin, its my understanding that more modern special ed is quite different than special ed found decades ago. Back then it was basically where you placed kids who were unable to keep up with their peers without calling it the dumb class. Today as I understand its much more specialized, eg a kid who is dyslexic isn’t stupid, just needs a little more help to get going on reading and will be fine. Is this an accurate summary of what special ed has evolved into today? (no offense is intended)
Robin Smith,
If you are a Special Education teacher/ analyst then you should have your hands full doing that very important job instead of blathering on like you are an expert on every article in this blog. Start your own blog and see just how many people want to listen to your opinions. Some of the folks on this site seem to be growing tired of this being the Robin Smith show. Maybe you should express your views to a therapist. They might be able to help with the various phsychological problems you appear to have based on your all to frequent posts and responses to other people’s posts. That’s only my opinion, I would love to hear how others feel about it.
CT…Not an expert on anything, however, an opinion on everything;)~
Just skip over my comments and don’t read them
Louis
LD in the ‘old’ daze = learning disabled, however, to me it always meant learns differently.
I operated from there, causing much distress to some, and I operate from there to this day.
FYI…in the day ASTHMA was caused by unloving mothers and MD’s would not tend you if you went to a chiropractor and on and on…yes progress has been made
Louis
12/28/2013 Jay Simons Historical Misconceptions:
“….his(Einstein) teachers often considered E a bad student, it was only because of his unacceptable opinions on some forms of education…..he was not a good student in the eyes of some people.”
CT,
I think that when family and friends can no longer stand to listen to someone’s incessant, insipid prattle they search for outlets in an attempt to remain relevant in their own mind. LTN appears to be such an outlet for some.
CT and K.Clancy:
I concur.
Really, you people can’t even talk about a rock without insults?
I’m not sure but it must be George Bush’s or OBama’s fault.
sun…if you go back 6 comments the discourse was about rocks. Then for some reason CT jumped in proclaiming some dissatisfaction with …. and calling for blah blah
Sorry…really it was all about rocks until then
Robin, I agree with sunrise. Once a conversation veers from the intended purpose, no longer respond. Be the one that breaks the chain. It is really rather easy.
Rick
Rick…Not all conversation has an ‘intended’ purpose
Contrarians are the worst.
billy,
If this were only a psychology blog we could discuss all the different types of contrarians there are. Since there are several different types on this blog alone.