Caltrans Updates Conditions On Two Mountain Passes

Caltrans photo

Update: Highway 108 Sonora Pass was reported open June 9th as reported here and Highway 4 Ebbetts Pass opened on June 8th as reported here.

Sonora, CA – Caltrans crews typically shoot to have Highway 108 Sonora and Highway 4 Ebbetts passes open by the Memorial Day weekend, but this year there is just too much snow and storm damage.

Caltrans reports that both passes are “experiencing extremely heavy, tightly packed snow with high water content.” Also slowing their progress is flooding from deep snow melt-off. Caltrans provided this update on those roadways’ conditions:

Highway 108 Sonora Pass, in Tuolumne County:

• District 10’s (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne) Long Barn crew and District 9’s (Inyo, Mono and Eastern Kern County) crew are approximately 4 miles apart.

Highway 4 Ebbetts Pass in Calaveras County:

• D10’s Woodfords crew is 1 mile past the top and approximately 10 miles from the Camp Connell crew.

Sonora Pass remains closed from Kennedy Meadows to 9.5 miles west of Highway 395, while Ebbetts Pass is closed from the east end of Lake Alpine to Willow Creek. Caltrans advised, “There is no estimated time of reopening.”

Highway 120 Tioga Pass is managed by Yosemite National Park. Crews there are also experiencing deep snow, and last week crews headed to Olmsted Point to do blasting in the avalanche zone. There is also no slated opening for this highway.