Caltrans makes headway on EDC highways

Crews use a break in storms to work on Highway 50 by Bridal Veil falls. Photo/Caltrasn

Caltrans is making progress on highways in El Dorado County that have been impacted by Mother Nature.

Highway 89 around Emerald Bay was close to reopening,  but then a large slide fell at Vikingsholm with snow and debris as high as 20 feet. Even so, crews hope to have the highway open today.

A section of Highway 193 on the West Slope has been opened to one-way traffic. The highway had been closed since Feb. 21 from the junction of Highway 49 in Placerville to Rock Creek Road after mudslides and slope erosion from massive saturation did damage to the northbound lane.

The slipout will require a long-term closure of several months while a retaining wall is designed and constructed. In the meantime, this area of the highway will be restricted to signalized one-way traffic controls.

Highway 50 remains open in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls while emergency work continues on a major slipout that destroyed the No. 2 westbound lane and also impacted the No. 1 lane. Work there is also expected to take several months for the design and construction of a new retaining wall to stabilize the slope.