California Department of Transportation crews were busy last week with the closure of Highway 74 from Valle Vista to Mountain Center because of rainstorm damage and a long term closure of northbound highway 79, Lamb Canyon at Gilman Springs Road in San Jacinto, because of a major median project.
The Highway 74 closure brought Caltrans, with the help of the California Highway Patrol, to close off the eastbound lane of the narrow winding highway from the Bee Canyon Truck Trail just east of Valle Vista to Mountain Center after some debris was removed from the westbound lane.
“There is debris flow from the Fairview Fire burn scar that has come onto the highway — rock, mud, bushes, etc.,” agency spokeswoman Emily Leinen told the City News Service.
The 28,000-acre Fairview Fire erupted Sept. 5, 2022 southeast of Hemet, possibly because of downed electrical lines. The blaze lasted nearly three weeks, consuming a large section of the San Bernardino National Forest above Highway 74.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers enforced the eastbound closure. The westbound side of the highway was open, CHP said at that time. Work is continuing to remove more of the debris from the rock and landslides up and down the highway.
The U.S. Forest Service, in a news release, said the recent significant winter storms have resulted in extreme snowfall on the higher elevation terrain of the San Bernardino National Forest and continuing rains/snow melt is affecting road conditions at lower elevations as was seen last week. Forest service personnel are currently working to determine to what extent damage has occurred, or if other obstacles, such as severe erosion cuts, rockslides, tree blowdown, etc. has impacted forest roads and infrastructure.
They warned, “These unknown obstacles are currently hidden under the blanket of deep snow. Due to the diligent efforts of Forest Service staff and many others, certain NFS Roads across the forest have been cleared and can reopen, and we are seeking to make as much of the forest once again accessible to visitors as possible.” More storms may cause more damage to the mountain roads.
Meanwhile, even with the rains, Caltrans continued its work on the $4 million safety project to construct a median concrete barrier and rumble strips on State Route 79 near San Jacinto and had to close off a portion of the northbound highway for the installation of a drain pipe for a week. CHP assisted with the closure and traffic safety.
Moreno Valley
The City of Moreno Valley, in partnership with Caltrans, is replacing the Moreno Beach Drive two-lane bridge with a seven-lane bridge and reconfiguring the north side of the interchange to allow easier access to and from State Route 60. Improvements will include a new westbound auxiliary lane, as well as a dedicated southbound Moreno Beach Drive to westbound State Route 60 on-ramp.
Palm Springs
Caltrans continued work on the project to construct and upgrade curb ramps to ADA standards and modify signal and lighting systems on State Route 111 in Palm Springs, weather permitting.
Desert Center
Caltrans continues operations on a pavement rehabilitation project from Desert Center to west of Wiley’s Well Rest Area (PM 134) on Interstate 10, weather permitting. Daytime closures are Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crews will be removing k-rail and relocating k-rail on the eastbound I-10. Lane 1 will be closed (quarter mile closures) from Corn Springs Road to Wiley’s Well Road.
San Bernardino
Caltrans continues its work to rehabilitate 59 miles of lanes, ramps and drainage systems on Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County. The project spans from Oak Hill Road in Hesperia to just south of Bear Valley Road in Victorville. Be alert for work trucks entering and exiting from the center median in the project area.
