All Highway 50 Lanes Back Open After Crews Blast Boulders Blocking Road Near Echo Summit
EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — The latest on the rockslide near Echo Summit:
7:25 p.m.
Caltrans says all lanes on Highway 50 have reopened near Echo Summit after crews removed boulders that fell to the roadway during a rockslide.
#TrafficAlert FINAL UPDATE @CountyElDorado: ALL lanes OPEN on US-50 just east of Echo Summit. Thanks for your patience. #KnowBeforeYouGo @Caltrux @CHP_Valley @CHP_Truckee @CHPPlacerville @cityofslt @CaltransHQ @CaltransDist10 @CaltransD4 @CHPSouthLake @CALFIRENEU @NevadaCountyCA pic.twitter.com/wHCtKCtGDR
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) April 10, 2021
2:26 p.m.
Caltrans says Highway 50 is back open to one lane around Echo Summit.
Crews are continuing to work on removing rocks from the area, however. Caltrans says they will monitor the area through the weekend to make sure it is safe.
Highway 50 is back open to one lane over Echo Summit. Rock scaling work continues and our crews will monitor 24/7 through weekend to make sure the route is safe for travel. @CHPSouthLake @CHPPlacerville https://t.co/PyPkdVgsGK
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) April 9, 2021
12:15 p.m.
As of noon on Friday, both directions of Highway 50 near Echo Summit remain closed.
Crews are now busy rigging up the bigger boulders with explosives to clear the road.
Caltrans still doesn't have an estimated time of reopening, but crews are still hopeful they'll be able to get at least one lane open by Friday afternoon.
Boulder blasting to clear the rock slide on Highway 50 just east of Echo Summit. The highway remains closed. We hope to open up one lane to traffic this afternoon when it's safe to do so. @CHPSouthLake @CHPPlacerville pic.twitter.com/bIhOun1225
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) April 9, 2021
10:36 a.m.
Caltrans crews are busy cleaning up the boulders that fell onto Highway 50.
No estimated time of reopening has been given yet, but Caltrans says they're hopeful at least one lane will be open by the afternoon.
In the meantime, detours are in place.
Further, according to the City of South Lake Tahoe, Johnson Pass Road has also been opened as an alternate route. However, this road is steep and will not relieve much traffic.
8:15 a.m
A rockslide has Highway 50 closed near Echo Summit on Friday morning.
The incident happened just after 6 a.m. just east of Echo Summit.
No injuries have been reported, but an SUV did crash into the boulders that slid onto the roadway just after the slide.
Both eastbound and westbound lanes are closed due to the slide.
A detour is in place from Highway 16 to Highway 49 south, Highway 88 east, to Highway 89 north to Highway 50 in Meyers for drivers heading eastbound from Sacramento. People heading from Placerville should take Highway 49 south to Highway 88 east to Highway 89 north into South Lake Tahoe.
Westbound drivers from South Lake Tahoe are urged to take Highway 89 to Highway 88, then take Highway 49 north to Highway 50 into Placerville.
Caltrans doesn't have an estimated time of reopening at this point.