Caltrans Continues Slide Removal on Highway 36; Reopening Aimed for End of the Week
Caltrans crews are working around the clock to stabalize a large active landslide that has forced the full closure of Highway 36 east of Swimmer’s Delight (PM 15.7-16.3) in Humboldt County.
As of Tuesday afternoon, helicopters were being used to remove slide material from the slope, with that phase expected to take one to two days. Once complete, crews will begin cleaning up and removing debris from the area. Caltrans aims to reopen the roadway by the end of the week but warns that conditions may change and cause additional delays.
The slide has posed significant challenges to travelers and local residents, with repeated closures due to ongoing slide activity. The current closure area is the site where Rodrigo Sanchez of Hydesville, a GR Sundberg Inc. employee, tragically lost his life on Saturday, May 31, during ongoing efforts to stabilize the slope.
Motorists are encouraged to check the Caltrans QuickMap at https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap app for the latest updates.
Earlier:
- Hwy 36 Closed Due to Slide Near Bridgeville
- Worker Killed in Slide Accident on Highway 36 Near Grizzly Creek
- Coroner Names Victim of Highway 36 Slide
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Complete closure for a period of time is inconvenient but as the story makes clear it allows for more aggressive efforts to bring down unstable materiel without having to clear it away every 30 minutes — this approach prioritizes public and worker safety and improves the chances that the slide area can be stabilized more quickly.
Helicopter with tiny claw does what, pick a couple rocks that might roll down??? What a joke waste of money, if workers can’t deal with risk then get some that will. They accept more risk everyday logging
Volunteering?
I’m sure an wage offer more affordable then helicopter would draw plenty of applicants
Yeah, helo can’t be cheap….
The choppers may not be cheap, but you can’t put a price on human life!
Insurance companies do every day. It’s near $0.
The death benefit in California for an employee with three or more dependents is $320,000. The company may also be sued for negligence, raising damages significantly
Says he or it who is ensconced behind a keyboard trolling X for misinformation to repost with occasional forays into local issues in an apparent effort to disprove the widely held belief that it’s a bot.
The worker that was killed was dealing with the risk. Are you going to volunteer Squirrel?
Disgusting
There are few problems that can’t be solved with the application of hight explosives
Except whales..do not recommend.
Cut back to arcata.
You’re on moderation for the nuke comment. But you are on thin ice.
Well it’s not “X”, I had my comment deleted also, sorry for the use of dipsh*t , it seemed appropriate
I know. Sorry about that.
Will a beautiful photo help? From our backyard.
A little late to bring in helicopters as far as I am concerned! If they had been there earlier, perhaps the contract worker would still be alive.
Heavy lift helicopters: 20,000 to 44,000 pound lifting capacity and up to $4,000 per hour…
Do we not blast problem areas anymore? I think the old timers would have taken the face of the mountain off months ago. Mabey powder monkeys are hard to find now. Wish them luck and safety
Why wasn’t the late, lone standing tree, on the active slide removed before it killed a man? That tree could have come down the slide and killed a dozen people in three or four cars driving through the active slide. Seems like gross negligence to have had the road open on the active slide and had flaggers and other workers in direct peril as it was so unsafe.
My sincere condolences to Mr. Reyna-Sanchez’ loved ones , coworkers, and friends. He clearly devoted his careers to public service, doing difficult work that made our lives safer and easier.
To those critical of his faults, perhaps you can do that work without finding a way to relieve the stress. Texts are words, not actions. Yes, it was wrong to say those things. Who among us has always spoken kindly of others? Let those who are without fault cast the first stone.
Road construction is inherently dangerous. Faulting the contractor who works on active landslides without knowing the facts indicates a lack of knowledge about what it takes to do this work. Certainly CalOSHA will conduct an investigation and we will learn more. Until then, judgemental speculation is simply rumor mongering.
Clearly Mr Reyna-Sanchez chose public service for both his careers and I appreciate him. His absence will be felt in our community.
Water cannon like the gold miners used
Spot, I don’t think that a water cannon would solve the problem. It would just wash most of the mountain right straight into the VanDuzen River. Talk about water pollution, there would be mud, trees, rocks, etc., making their way to the Eel River.