Closed Portion Of Highway 50 In El Dorado County To Reopen Tuesday

KYUBRZ (CBS13) — The closed portion of Highway 50 in El Dorado County will reopen to the general public Tuesday morning, a Caltrans spokesperson said in a Caldor Fire Community Meeting on Sunday.

Caltrans said the public reopening of the Highway will occur at 8 a.m.

Prior to this, residents from the closed area between Kyburz and Meyers will be allowed a temporary entry Monday as an opportunity to verify their addresses and check in on the status of properties. Monday is not a repopulation effort. The transportation of goods and services will also be allowed during this time.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said the area remains under an evacuation order and closed to the general public for the time being until the highway fully reopens.

Residents will be allowed to access the area Monday as of 8 a.m. after gaining a permit from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from the following locations:

• From South Lake Tahoe (east side of closure):
  1834 Santa Fe Road in Meyers
• From Placerville (west side of closure):
  Fresh Pond Chevron parking lot - 7720 US 50, Pollock Pines

An online permit application can be pre-filled out here. Passes to access the area cannot be obtained at roadblocks.

The sheriff's office said crews are still in the area working on cutting down large and dangerous trees and putting out hot spots around many of the structures in the area. Residents can still access their properties if crews are there.

The 40-mile stretch of Highway 50 has been closed for several weeks due to the Caldor Fire's rapid spread across El Dorado County. Flames eventually jumped the highway and crews have been working to clear hazardous trees from along the highway.