[UPDATE: Reopened BUT Very Bad Road] Bell Springs Road Blocked

Since Hwy 101 was shut down by a slide late last night, locals have been using Bell Springs Road, a Humboldt/Mendocino County backroad to travel around the slide. As of 9:32 p.m. the road has been blocked by a “Pinske moving van,” according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page.

“No one can get around the vehicle,” according to information posted there.

Bell Springs Road is not recommended for most drivers and most vehicles.
UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: According to the CHP dispatch, the moving van was pulled out and over to the side of the road where the driver is going to wait until light and hopefully, doesn’t get stuck again. However, dispatch tells me the road is very, very bad. Please local traffic only!

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

35 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gojo
Guest
Gojo
6 years ago

How the hell did they get on the road, is chp not sitting at the junction bell springs&101??? And in garberville/harris?

I hope they get fined, what a stupid thing to do!

Neighbor
Guest
Neighbor
6 years ago

Nimrods* born every instant. And then getting into vehicles.


*The junior high definition…

Ramon
Guest
Ramon
6 years ago

I could get through there in a moving van. Flat landers.

Keoma
Guest
Keoma
6 years ago
Reply to  Ramon

ha ha ha! Thanks for that- that was funny 😆

Midnight Rider
Guest
Midnight Rider
6 years ago

Penske’s Roadside Assistance is available around the clock, 365 days a year.

Call 1-800-526-0798

Good Luck!

Shaka
Guest
Shaka
6 years ago

Now that’s a big k-rail…

Gringo
Guest
Gringo
6 years ago

The locals will move it real quick if they don’t.

Sarah
Guest
Sarah
6 years ago
Reply to  Gringo

Right?! If it’s not out by 9am then we’ll be there to help!

Eel707
Guest
6 years ago

The CHP should be monitoring who goes up Bell springs since it’s our only south bound route out of here right now. The media all said the road was closed, but then they let all traffic through all day long? Can’t we afford to have 1 CHP sit there 24/7 and make sure we can keep this emergency detour open?

Patrick
Guest
Patrick
6 years ago
Reply to  Eel707

Exactly!!!!!

Gay Redneck
Guest
Gay Redneck
6 years ago

So how exactly did they get past the CHP sitting at the bottom of the road making sure this exact thing doesn’t happen?

Oh, right…

Dirt
Guest
Dirt
6 years ago

Local access? Oops. There was still snow on the road two days ago. DO NOT TAKE BELL SPRINGS, It is bad, enjoy the redwoods for a day or two or go through zenia and be stuck for a week.

Local
Guest
Local
6 years ago

I passed by Bell Springs Rd earlier this evening and there was no chp presence, the only deterrence was a sign and the chains required sign was turned around…I’m wondering what is considered local traffic? Just residents of Bell Springs or our entire area?

Kane
Guest
Kane
6 years ago

Is it possible to get through Bell Springs? There’s literally no other way south?

Tammie Chapman
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

That’s what we ended up doing because of the possibility of some big truck blocking the road. 36 is very pretty right now.

ED Denson
Guest
ED Denson
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

36 is probably the better option, especially for Sohum travellers. 299 still has long delays at the Big French Creek slide. I’d check CalTrans immediately before making my routing choice because things change quickly.

Carolyn
Guest
Carolyn
6 years ago

It’s actually an older model motorhome truck type vehicle, I was driving south on bell springs about 7:30pm south of the Harris store. There’s a few REALLY bad spots where the concrete is buckled and there are deep ruts. I have AWD and I live here so I wasn’t fazed but I could see the motorhome thingie bouncing along way in front of me. I eventually caught up to him and he pulled over to let me by – I almost told him to stop but he didn’t look friendly. I went around the next curve and the road was shredded. I assume that’s where they got stuck. There were no CHP at either end of BSR, although I passed one headed north about 8:15.

guest
Guest
guest
6 years ago

I agree that someone should sit on either end of that road and ‘warn or detour’ vehicles that would not make it. I crossed yesterday in a Rock Warrior and followed a local across. I had to back up for a truck that had no business on that road. And then I saw some idiot in a truck trying to haul a new 38 foot Toy Hauler across. He came in from the Garberville side… wonder where he got stuck and blocked traffic. By the same token, there were NO warning signs before Legget that the road was closed so people could turn around. Cal Trans needed to have signs (more than one) up talking about there not being any North or Southbound access. Then, only the locals would have used Bell Springs road. I saw CHP on that road yesterday. Here is hoping they are able to get 101 open soon. CAL TRANS…. Some signs for detours to 36 and 299 please-

Gina
Guest
Gina
6 years ago
Reply to  guest

I was the first person up there to get across. I am a local county employee. They had to fix a large ditch in the road with several haulings of dirt so that we could pass. Behind me looked like locals, but descending it looked like people from the 101 they looked scared and had cars that shouldn’t be going up there. There was a detective and cop from Clearlake a CHP and some men fixing the road ( not caltrans ). My concern is how come our county doesn’t have any engineers that can finally fix that hill that keeps causing problems? Being held up for 2-3 days is just insanity in this day and age. There is nothing worse than being held up, I mean who knows how many people will miss work, miss appointments, miss getting on an airplane to see their family… all because of 1 hill. BellSprings road should be closed to everyone except locals. My concern yesterday was non local people could die up there on a wrong turn.

Green Death
Guest
Green Death
6 years ago
Reply to  Gina

Good! I hope some non-local idiots do die! We have more than enough morons in this world and they should stay off of roads they have no business or skills to travel on! That said- perhaps you are fresh up here? Carl’s Slide closed the highway almost annually for a few days. It was nice. Kept those office people with their appointments and such from infesting our area too badly- they can’t stand to be cut off from their fellow “corporate zombies” in the city- How scary!…This is a “new” slide and after this is fixed we will have another one somewhere else. Welcome to the Humboldt Nation! Learn to be self-reliant. Enjoy one of the last places in this country that has yet to be absorbed into the matrix of office workers and numbness.

Hugo
Guest
Hugo
6 years ago
Reply to  Green Death

Fix a slide? What do you have a geological magic wand?

geezus
Guest
geezus
6 years ago
Reply to  Green Death

What a lose. I’m seriously embarrassed

Jessi
Guest
Jessi
6 years ago
Reply to  Gina

What cars would you recommend then? And the cars that shouldn’t? I hear people saying they made it fine, and others saying the road fights back.. just wondering…

Mavis
Guest
Mavis
6 years ago
Reply to  guest

It’s a county road! That means it’s open for ALL county residents regardless where they live! It’s a way through for everyone not just the special people up there.

pattie watson
Guest
pattie watson
6 years ago

I’m a piercy resident and need to get to Philo. I took Bell Springs in all wh suv back when truck over turned. A bitch of a road only made worse I’m sure with all the rain we’ve had. I learned to drive on roads like this so that doesn’t bother me. The two hr detour does. Any suggestions….do I stay or do I go! Humm…

pattie watson
Guest
pattie watson
6 years ago
Reply to  pattie watson

Guess if I have to ask..I’ll stay.

Life is Good
Guest
Life is Good
6 years ago

I was approached by this Bay Area woman in G-Ville yesterday with her iPhone maps displayed on her device. She was trying to get to Northstar ski resort. The map was telling her to take Red Mountain Road to Bell Springs Road then down to 101. She was driving a Prius. HaHa. I told her to drive north an hour and take 36. Those maps are so inaccurate.

Mavis
Guest
Mavis
6 years ago
Reply to  Life is Good

I drive Red Mountain road for work and that road is garbage! The ruts are 3+ feet deep in many spots!

suz
Guest
suz
6 years ago

Google Maps is recommending Bell Springs Road as a deter….

hum dad
Guest
hum dad
6 years ago

Selfish bastards…….they were all complaining about people using “their” road last time 101 was closed. I guess this is their way of fixing their problem? That moving truck should be towed!! What the hell, what if there were an emergency? I guess none of those selfish bastards should be allowed to use any major highways huh?

Wow
Guest
Wow
6 years ago

My iPhone told me I could go over bell springs. I am a local, so I can without a problem, but I’m concerned for all the flat landers that Siri is currently routing up there. It isn’t the road that scares me, it’s all the dumbass people that shouldn’t be traveling it that makes me concerned to use it.

Ed Tollefson
Guest
Ed Tollefson
6 years ago

I just drove it this evening (Wednesday). My cellphone Google Maps said to go that way (going south, it routed me off at Garberville and up Alderpoint 8.6 miles..to Bell Springs for 27.4 miles. Raining like a bastard, but still a pretty and interesting drive. Would be interesting to live out there. Anyway, yes, some small cars that shouldn’t have been out there with wide eyed drivers..and some too big…but we all got by. Everyone was driving politely. There was a “Road Closed” sign at the beginning of Bell Springs off Alderpoint. Passed two CHPs that were headed north….

Wild west
Guest
Wild west
6 years ago

CAUTION: IF YOU CHOOSE HWY 36 BE ALERT, DRIVE SLOW AND SMART. IF NOT IT COULD BE YOUR LAST TRIP. 36 HAS NOW TURNED INTO I-5. NO JOKE!!!!!