Caltrans Districts 2 and 3 crews blasted large boulders on highway 70 this week following the heavy rains the area received over the past several days in efforts to reopen the highway.
The stretch of road has been closed from the Greenville wye to Jarbo gap in Butte county for four days. Crews also worked to clear the route with rock hammers to break up more of the large boulders that fell onto the roadway near Cresta. Work will continue as conditions allow as the other slide areas, including one west of Rush Creek Road, between Belden and Twain, remain active. Caltrans says crews will also continue to clear smaller areas of debris as they occur.
This 50-mile stretch of the highway saw a significant shutdown in June of last year that lasted for several weeks due to a heavy thunderstorm across the Dixie burn scar, where parts of the roadway were washed away. An expected break in storms starting today before the next round of heavy rain arrives will be a welcomed relief to continue efforts to open SR 70.
As of this morning, there remains no estimated time of when that will be happening.
