101 May Stay Closed Through the Weekend, Says Caltrans

[Photo by Robert Nulph and courtesy of GR Sundberg, Inc]

A drone’s eye view of the slide at the Last Chance Grade. [Photo by Robert Nulph and courtesy of GR Sundberg, Inc]

The large and active slide at Last Chance Grade intermittently closing Hwy 101 between Vista Point and Enderts Beach at Humboldt Road just south of Crescent City could stay closed for several more days, Caltrans spokesperson Myles Cochrane just told us.

Another view of the slide via drone. [Photo by Robert Nulph and courtesy of GR Sundberg, Inc]

Another view of the slide via drone. [Photo by Robert Nulph and courtesy of GR Sundberg, Inc]

“The public should be prepared for the possibility that the roadway may not reopen until this weekend due to today’s unrelenting slide activity and inclement weather conditions,” he said this afternoon. “We will continue to share updates as we get them via Caltrans District 1 social media.”

Crumpled wooden structures have been pushed over the edge of the roadway by the slide. [Photo from Caleb, a pilot flying the coast today]

More trees appear poised to collapse onto the roadway below. [Aerial photo from Caleb, a pilot flying the coast today]

Travelers can also keep updated on Caltrans QuickMap.

Last Chance Grade sliding

Crumpled wooden structures have been pushed over the edge of the roadway by the slide. [Aerial photo from Caleb, a pilot flying the coast today]

To get a sense of how large and powerful this is, below is a video of the slide coming down on February 13 provided by GR Sundberg, Inc.

 

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Martin
Guest
3 years ago

I think the time has come for a permanent by pass of this road section. Cal Trans is just pouring money over the side of the highway. It is time to get the California government to fast track this through the tribal land. People have given them enough money in their casinos to build a freeway.

Sayitaintso
Guest
Sayitaintso
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

You may want to research this subject. It is not Caltrans holding up the project. It is lawsuits from environmentalists and Natives.

Thirdeye
Guest
Thirdeye
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

What evidence do you have that the Tribe is obstructing the project? Tribes also have an interest in reliable transportation links.

josey wales
Guest
josey wales
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Thanks for the racism. That oughta make things better.
And to further drive home the depths of your ignorance….a go around is being environmentally analyzed [edit]

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Not one person was required to spend their money at a casino. Wal-Mart makes a farkton of money, maybe they should pay for it, or whatever large corp. that makes a huge chunk of dollars.

Why not put up a toll at Last Chance to fund a bypass if we are talking about money. (I don’t like tolls, just an example.) I do agree that LCG needs to be bypassed. That doesn’t require “finishing” the GO road, but something closer to the coast.

Looking around northern California, Last Chance is just one of the highways that are sliding down the hill. I’m not being smug, I’ve been in the position of being massively inconvenienced by slides, in one week our town was cut off north AND south on 101. One took out the highway completely*** and the old highway below it and the other is a bit like LCG), And for a couple of days the main highway east into the Willamette Valley also had a slide just to really drive it home (or not drive I suppose).

***I still think about it when I drive over that spot. It was filled in and I have no desire to be the next one to go down with it, as happened to a driver on 101 when it slid. Incredibly he survived.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago

Walmart does pay for the road, just like casinos do. They pay a gasoline tax and weight fee for everything that is shipped to them that is supposed to go to the roads. California has the second highest gas tax but has the 5th worst roads in the nation.

Angela Robinson
Guest
Angela Robinson
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

And my point was that picking out Native casinos because they make money is silly. In fact one could point to Wal-Mart, for example, being much more destructive to smaller communities…but that is another story.

If Martin was referring to the GO road, it would be a massive PITA to reroute that far inland. Unless the tribal lands he is referring to sit a mile, or whatever it takes to move 101 inland.

Also, the GO road isn’t immune to slides either.

We live on the Cascadia subduction zone, the land is rising fast and part of it will sluff off on a regular basis. You can see it on the cliffs from just below Usal all the way up through Oregon.

Lone Ranger
Guest
Lone Ranger
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

You are spot on Mike, trucking companies pay a farkton in registration and fuel tax . Where is the money? Oh yeah, maybe in that 15 year environmental impact study. Maybe do an environmental impact on druggies that have impaired their brains to the point that they are mental and piss and crap all over downtown Frisco. This state and its voters have put druggies as a priority to help and fund, what a joke. Punch a road around already , fuk the study, lets get something done.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

Not just addicts. Don’t forget the illegal immigrants.

Sandy
Guest
Sandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Lone Ranger

What do drugs or drug addicts in San Francisco have to do with the highway in crescent city or klamath?

Buster
Guest
Buster
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I am calling bullshit on 5th worst roads in the nation. California state highways are some of the best overall that I have ever driven. City and county roads can be a different story. Some of the potholes in Arcata are best traversed in a Jeep rock crawler.

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Buster

So I was going off memory, it’s been a while so I googled it. California’s roads are now rated at 2nd worst in the nation. So yeah I was wrong, wrong for giving caltrans and the state too much credit. If you don’t believe me feel free to google it yourself

Buster
Guest
Buster
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Hmm…I guess that I don’t get out much anymore…damn Covid!
😷

Mike
Guest
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Buster

Right? I’ve personally found every other state I’ve been to to have better roads but it’s been a year or two. The best roads where in Canada

Country Bumpkin
Guest
Country Bumpkin
3 years ago
Reply to  Buster

The roads in California are quite a bit better than the ones in Baja California. For now.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
3 years ago

They are also slightly better than the roads in Haiti.

Susan Nolan
Guest
Susan Nolan
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

As a matter of fact, neither tribes nor environmentalists have had a shot at the bypass yet, it’s still in the planning phase, which you can check out here: https://lastchancegrade.com

Someoneducated
Guest
Someoneducated
3 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Martin and anyone who agrees with him,[edit]! No, we shouldn’t take more from indigenous people. That land is sacred and important ecologically. Also your [edit] because that whole go road area is prone to just as many rock slides if not more! it’s not even a good alternative anyway. I’m ashamed if you live in the surrounding communities

Willie Bray
Guest
3 years ago

🕯🌳Thank you Kym for keeping us informed. Get some rest. And I agree with Martin. 🖖🖖

mlr the giant squirrel in Eureka
Guest
mlr the giant squirrel in Eureka
3 years ago

Plant ten tons of dynamite and blast the mountainside into the ocean like the old days. Problem fixed cheap.

the misadventures of bunjee
Guest
the misadventures of bunjee
3 years ago

No need for dynamite. Gravity works just fine.

reality
Guest
reality
3 years ago

CalTrans is now able to act since they were unaware of the need to reroute this road before like 1950…

Let that sink in. 50+ years and its still not relocated….

Good thing we gave a TV personality from Mexico a Covid shot ahead of War Veteran’s who helped fight Biden’s/Bush’s/Clinton’s/Cheney’s illegal war.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
Ernie Branscomb
3 years ago

With as much time and money that has been spent on Last Chance Grade they could have hired a crew with tablespoons to remove the whole mountain.

josey wales
Guest
josey wales
3 years ago

Good one

Gary
Guest
Gary
3 years ago

…..And when they do make the highway better, please put the electric power to Klamath underground. It’s a third world situation. We deserve better!

Vern
Guest
Vern
3 years ago

From the drone photo looks like it flattens out just back of a few trees, and maybe a bit on the side. Why not just cut the trees, get the whole bit of unstable slope down on the road and clear it all out . . . good to go . . . no need for the bypass. (Of course I am in my armchair looking at a picture, but still, from the armchair, looks doable.) What do you think Caltrans?

Bryan
Guest
Bryan
3 years ago
Reply to  Vern

I like what you have said. Looks like lose over burning dirt over bed rock. Just keep removing the dirt. open up the road . And let the people running the dumped trucks 🚚 feed their families

Robert Nulph
Guest
Robert Nulph
3 years ago
Reply to  Vern

I did the drone photos and here is another from today. This slide is steeper than a cows face and there are zero flat spots.

SandyGirl
Guest
SandyGirl
3 years ago

LCG is in the active portion of environmental studies for at least six alternative bypasses in the immediate vicinity. geologic studies are being processed (very important considering the unstable geology of the area). they are getting closer to completing the studies to support a long term engineering solution.

Bill
Guest
Bill
3 years ago

Its being fixed has nothing to do with natives or any other race.they wont start on new by pass till they do a environmental impact study on building a pypass.which is gonna be a 5 year study n cost tax payers 50 million dollars. Then if its ok they will start to build it,hwy 101 will not make 5 more years its gonna drop off in to the ocean n will have to walk around it.haha get it..