Crack On HWY 120 Closes Section Of Roadway In Yosemite

Yosemite National Park photo

Yosemite, CA – Yosemite National Park reports no access to Yosemite Valley from Big Oak Flat Road/Highway 120 due to a  crack that could take until July to repair.

A crack about 200 feet long and up to four feet deep, which can be seen in the image box photo, has forced the closure of the roadway from just inside the park boundary to Merced Grove. Park officials relay, “The road will be closed at least until mid-June and possibly into July. We are working with the Federal Highway Administration to start repairs as soon as possible.”

Also of concern is the continued shifting of the road’s surface, which has already moved two to three inches vertically and horizontally. Additionally, the road’s embankment below has moved about 15 feet downslope, with significant water flow through it. Park officials advise, “It is not safe to open the road even to limited traffic, and doing so would likely lead to additional road failure.”

Visitors entering the park on Highway 120 from the west can only get to Hodgdon Meadow and Hetch Hetchy, but not other areas of the park, including Yosemite Valley. However, from the valley, visitors can drive up the Big Oak Flat Road to reach the Tuolumne and Merced Groves of Giant Sequoias.