[UPDATE 5:05 p.m.] No Estimated Time of Reopening Hwy 101, Says Caltrans After Slide Re-blocks the Major Roadway Again

Workers at a rock slide blocking a road

A rockslide has buried Hwy 101 again and the road is completely blocked with no estimated time of reopening. [Photo from Caltrans]

Hwy 101 remains closed about six miles north of Leggett at Bridges Creek after a slide that had been re-opened poured down off the mountain smashing the barrier wall and completely blocking the major roadway just after 9:00 last night.

Caltrans posted on their Facebook about 9:00 this morning, “101 remains closed with no estimated time for reopening. The slide remained active all night, so it is unknown when it will be safe for our contractor to begin cleanup again.”

UPDATE 10:50 a.m.: Caltrans posted at 10:30 a.m., “101 remains closed, but our contractor has been given the green light to begin slide cleanup. There is still no estimated time for reopening.”

Update 5:05 p.m.: Caltrans Hopes to Reopen 101 to One-Way Traffic by this Weekend; Slide Still Active

Earlier Chapters:

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39 Comments
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Precarious
Guest
Precarious
6 years ago

Bigger rocks fell down this time, wonder what the top of the slide looks like now

Precarious
Guest
Precarious
6 years ago
Reply to  Precarious

Just saw the caltrans pic of the top on FB, precarious indeed

Ben Round
Guest
Ben Round
6 years ago

Again???? Crap!

Brenda
Guest
Brenda
6 years ago
Reply to  Ben Round

It probably needs dynamite and a new bridge built with lower access also eventually

Shift happens
Guest
Shift happens
6 years ago
Reply to  Brenda

Dynamite will only trigger more slides, and it could dump so much material in the river it could dam it, which would be bad on multiple levels obviously. Its happened on other rivers in the pac northwest. Curious if there was logging on the ridge above this like the ones above confusion hill that contributed to slide happening.

None of these areas of 101 were built to withstand semi trucks and tons of traffic. The majority of our roads were built near rivers for logging companies. Construction of 101N began 1900.

Was everyone this upset when confusion hill closed it for a week?
I guess at that time most folks i knew werent going back and forth to the city a bunch. And who were used to rural living so they had extra supplies. Bell springs was in a bit better shape at that time.

Folks who moved here 4-5 years ago, yes its pretty normal for us to have lots of rain and our roads do go out, its part of living here.

Veterans friend
Guest
Veterans friend
6 years ago

If they don’t deal with the top this will just continue.

Guest,
Guest
Guest,
6 years ago

Moab it

Scooter
Guest
Scooter
6 years ago

I am tired of rain. I am tired of firewood. I am tired of potholes. Grumble grumble, pissmoan and bitch.

Pickachu
Guest
Pickachu
6 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

LOL!

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

It gets that way sometimes. When the sun comes out, you will forget all about it.

Reynard
Guest
Reynard
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

And when the sun comes out here on the coast next week we’ll be bitching about how hot it is and whining for the fog.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Reynard

No way!!! Speak for yourself!!

DaPisan
Guest
DaPisan
6 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

I second that entirely!!!!!!

CONCERNED
Guest
CONCERNED
6 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

i third it..

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
6 years ago
Reply to  CONCERNED

Absotively Posolutely so, I quite agree!!!!

Hohohi
Guest
Hohohi
6 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

You are welcome to move to a warmer area 🙂 We live in a temperate rainforest. Its a small price to pay to have our amazing ecosystem, thank the rain instead. Be glad you have even have firewood and shelter and warm clothes and food. Just with that youre doin better than a lot of folks.

Its gonna be a fantastic river swimming season!!!

Piercy Person
Guest
Piercy Person
6 years ago

Northside slide material is being trucked to the Old Piercy Mill site . (pic)
That’s like a 12 mile roundtrip .
I vote for the harsh “Push – it – over – the – Edge” quick fix .

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  Piercy Person

There is a river at the bottom if the hill

Reynard
Guest
Reynard
6 years ago
Reply to  Piercy Person

Not an option for the health of the river.

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago
Reply to  Piercy Person

Before the road was there, the slide would have just gone into the River. So I’d say good bye Mountain, and hello to the new Lake Leggett.

Ecl
Guest
Ecl
6 years ago
Reply to  Piercy Person

You seem to think that would be natural but a road cut in to the hillside is what created this level of instability. Pushing it over the edge would create major damage and is not natural.

s
Guest
s
6 years ago

Put a sign up saying rocks for sale, then people will steal them and they will be gone.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  s

Lol!!! That’s funny!!! 😂😂😂

Livin' Easy
Guest
Livin' Easy
6 years ago
Reply to  s

Would be more effective to say “Do not take rocks”. !!

Perspective offerring
Guest
Perspective offerring
6 years ago

Song called “its a pretty good day so far”…….

I slept through the night, I got through to the dawn
I flipped a switch and the light went on
I got out of bed and I put some clothes on
It’s a pretty good day so far
I turned the tap, there was cold there was hot
I put on my coat to go to the shop
I stepped outside, and I didn’t get shot
It’s a pretty good day so far
I didn’t hear any sirens or explosions
No murders coming in form those heavy guns
No UN tanks, I didn’t see one
It’s a pretty good day so far
No snipers in windows, taking a peak
No people panic, running scared through the streets
I didn’t see any bodies without arms, legs, or feet
It’s a pretty good day
There was plasma bandages and electricity
Food, wood, and water; and the air was smoke free
No camera crews from my TV
It was all such a strange sight to be home
Nobody was frightened, wounded, hungry, or cold
And the children seemed normal, they didn’t look old
It’s a pretty good day so far
I walked through a park, you would not believe it
There in the park, there were a few trees left
And on some branches, there were a few leaves
I slept through the night, got through to the dawn
I flipped the switch and the light went on
I wrote down my dream, I wrote this song
It’s a pretty good day so far
Songwriters: LOUDON WAINWRIGHT
© Spirit Music Group

LeeAnn Crnich
Guest
LeeAnn Crnich
6 years ago

I like that thanks for sharing.

Diana
Guest
Diana
6 years ago

Caltrans should do more than put up fencing they should consider a product such as Envirolok and creat a living wall and allow roots to hold the hill. This product has been used other places and works very well to eliminate these kinds of issues.

Jim
Guest
Jim
6 years ago
Reply to  Diana

That hillside is rock. Putting a bunch of soil filled bags on top of it really wouldn’t do much good. They would just come down with the next slide, adding to the mess.

Zippy
Guest
Zippy
6 years ago

Same crumbling rock geology as in the Eel River Canyon. and why the Northwestern Pacific Railroad will never run north of Willits again…

G-MAS
Guest
G-MAS
6 years ago

Being pushed to the edge! For workers and the mountain. Take care everyone. And be safe. I hope they figure this out soon.Clearly they need a new approach

butteryak
Guest
butteryak
6 years ago

Sure is nice and quiet here in Richardson’s grove. ahhhhhh…..no big trucks….I can hear the birds, and the river, so nice……

Honeybee
Guest
Honeybee
6 years ago

Who is working on a teleportation device

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
6 years ago

>”I hope they figure this out soon. Clearly they need a new approach”

IMHO: All the mountains are moving.

This season, it has rained somewhere from about 6 feet (coast) to 14 feet (rainy spots) so far. Go anywhere on most any road… and there are slides and slumps and bumps (etc).

It’s going to take a long time before they (CalTrans/HumCo) ‘stabilize’ roads.
If it keeps raining through June… (and it has before) I dunno if they will make much progress this year.

If there happens to be a big earthquake under these conditions… hang onto your hats.

I know me
Guest
I know me
6 years ago

I just saw Wendy Kornbergs video on ABC nightly news!!! (I get east coast feed from NYC on Directv.)

Ben Round
Guest
Ben Round
6 years ago
Reply to  I know me

I hope she is getting paid for it’s use!

Ely
Guest
Ely
6 years ago

Somebody should start a ferry service

Gary Ballard
Guest
Gary Ballard
6 years ago

Ghilotti superintendent kept 30 trucks on standby, anticipating more slide action. Great call by him that allowed instant reaction to begin removal.
Nobody hurt in a clearly dangerous situation was great luck and great work by Ghilotti.

Hopefully, all unstable material has moved and one more cleanup will open up 101.

Reality Check
Guest
Reality Check
6 years ago

Pushing the material over the side rather than trucking it: It’d be cheaper, i.e.: less jobs, and it’d be a bit faster, but not a whole lot. And it wouldn’t change anything about the material still coming down onto the road. Probably not that huge of an impact on fish, if they were in their natural habitat and condition, but we screwed that up a long time ago, so they don’t need any more stress. Not really much to be gained by that tactic. Same for using explosives: it’d move a bunch of material down in the short term, while destabilizing a bunch more, making the problem the same. Not a solution. What I don’t get is why random people looking at the internet think they know more about the problem and how to solve it than Caltran’s professional full-time trained engineers and construction contractors?

Long time traveler
Guest
Long time traveler
6 years ago

The song was my favorite comment: be thankful for what we have. I am planning on making it home by 299. But when I lived in Willow Creek for 12 years, some of them very wet, there were times we couldn’t get out in any of 3 directions. That’s why the Costco runs were great…stock up, stay home and enjoy the beauty! Even when it is grey!