MARIPOSA COUNTY — Caltrans District 10 continues to work on the washout on Highway 132, and the CHP reports nearly two-dozen roads closed or affected by the massive rain event a week ago.
Floodwater sliced through State Route 132 in northern Mariposa County, during the recent violent storms, creating a 50-foot gap between the two stretches of roadway. The gaping hole extends down about 50 feet, from the raised road to the creek below, about 8 1/2 miles west of Highway 49.
A failed culvert led to water pooling adjacent to the highway on Mar. 22, and that water eventually broke through the roadbed and washed away a chunk of the highway with it.
The water was violent enough to carry the 14-foot wide culvert about a half-mile down stream, along with thick chunks of the paved roadway.
The flood carried a massive cargo container (the yellow object pinned against the tree in first photo) down from a higher elevation, while also sending uprooted trees and boulders far downstream.
Caltrans already has crews working on the repair job. They are first building an access road to allow construction workers and their equipment to traverse the creek while they are working on both sides of the expansive hole created in SR-132.
Officials are still searching for John Honesto and Carol Brown, who have been missing since Thursday, Mar. 22. For the full story, click here.
For updates from Caltrans District 10, visit their Facebook page.
CHP reports the following roads still closed or affected by the flooding as of 11:30 a.m.:
- JARDINCITO/BANDERILLA – ONE LANE OPEN, RD PARTIALLY WASHED OUT
- SCHILLING RD (NOT MAINTAINED DURING WINTER MONTHS) – CLOSED
- PENO BLANCO – CLOSED
- PANCHITO WAY – CLOSED
- HAIGH RD – CLOSED, *BUT OPEN TO RESIDENTS*
- CHAPULIN WAY – CLOSED
- LAREDO/BANDERILLA – CLOSED
- WHITE ROCK BRIDGE / OLD HWY – CLOSED
- INDIAN GULCH – CLOSED, NO BRIDGE
- YAQUI GULCH BTWN LIVE OAK AND PRAIRIE LN – CLOSED
- #9 RD – CLOSED
- MT GAINES – CLOSED
- SLATE GULCH – CLOSED
- SCHOOL HOUSE – OPEN, ON LANE BRIDGE
- HORNITOS / BEAR CREEK (NEAR WHISPERING OAKS) – CLOSED
- HORNITOS / CORBET CREEK (JWO OLD TOLL) – CLOSED
- INDIAN PEAK/HIRSCH RD BRIDGE – CLOSED, ANTICIPATE OPENING 3/29
- FOURNIER CROSSING – CLOSED, WILL OPEN WHEN WATER GOES DOWN
- 8TH ST CROSSING – CLOSED, WILL OPEN WHEN WATER GOES DOWN
- SILVA RD CROSSING – CLOSED, WILL OPEN WHEN WATER GOES DOWN
- LEONARD CROSSING – CLOSED, WILL OPEN WHEN WATER GOES DOWN
(Photos Caltrans District 10)
