Caltrans Updates Mother Lode Pass Conditions

Sonora, CA – Caltrans officials say one of the Mother Lode’s three mountain passes might have opened today except for snowy conditions now sneaking into the Upper Sierra Nevada.

Officials are signaling that although plans were to swing open the gates at the Highway 108/Sonora Pass at noon today, a decision was made to delay it due to incoming precipitation and perhaps make an announcement tomorrow if an opening can happen.

In the meantime, crews are busily attending to the other two passes, still removing snow and making extensive repairs to damage from the mighty wallop of this past winter’s storms.

Highway 4/Ebbetts Pass is reportedly scheduled to remain closed into July while crews continue to shove snow, remove rocks, other debris, and shave away overgrown brush. There is also a major repair underway on a highway stretch near Wolf Creek.

Caltrans crews have cleared the east side of Highway 120/Tioga Pass while Yosemite National Park works on clearing and repairing Tioga Road within its boundaries. Officials say Caltrans and Yosemite crews this week met up at the top of the pass but snow is still being scooped from the shoulders as repairs and rock removals are being done. Extensive damage to guardrails is also being attended to, amongst the work scope, so there is not yet even an estimated reopening date.