Re: El Portal Road at the "Narrows"

Reconstruction of El Portal Road at the "Narrows" (a 1/4 mile section of road upstream of the 120/140 intersection)

Traffic impacts will be as follows:

Oct. 15 - 19: 0630 to 1600 hours, alternating traffic with flaggers (expect delays of 30 minutes) No night time closures.

Oct. 22 - 26: 0630 to 1600 hours, alternating traffic with flaggers (expect delays of 30 minutes) No night time closures.

Oct. 29 - Nov. 2: 0630 to 1600 hours, alternating traffic with flaggers (expect delays of 30 minutes) No night time closures.

The date for the beginning of night time closures is yet to be determined.

Thanks for the info; guess I'll go in (next week) via 41. I don't mind the delay at the slide, but add another half hour and it could be annoying.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

There will not be any work or traffic delays occurring on the El Portal Road until further notice. Work cannot continue until the sewer spill plan is approved. The contractor has submitted the sewer spill plan and it is now undergoing State Water Quality Review Board review/approval. Once the approval is granted the contractor plans to begin work almost immediately with full night closures.

Are they daring to clear the slide, tunnel under, or make a more permanent two-lane detour across the river? I like to visit Yosemite Valley in the winter and I usually stay in Mariposa or at Cedar Lodge. What's the scoop?

Vince wrote:

> Are they daring to clear the slide, tunnel under, or make a
> more permanent two-lane detour across the river? I like to
> visit Yosemite Valley in the winter and I usually stay in
> Mariposa or at Cedar Lodge. What's the scoop?

This isn't about the slide area. The "Narrows" is the section just upstream from the turn off to Crane Flat.

Ah OK, to me the stretch from Briceburg to the west entrance is all pretty narrows.

Beginning Monday, November 26 the contractor will be working during daytime hours (6:30 am - 4:40 pm) causing up to 30 minute delays . There may be additional traffic impacts on Thursday night, November 29, to tie in the sewer bypass.

Beginning Sunday, December 2, 2007 this project will have the following traffic impacts:

Weekdays – Su - Thurs - 10:00 pm through 6:00 am - Full closure with one opening at 11:00 pm for exiting shift workers.

Mon - Fri - 6:00 am through 10:00 pm - One lane controlled traffic with 30 minute delays.

Weekends – Friday 4:30 pm through Sunday 10:00 pm - One lane controlled traffic with 30 minute delays*

*When the traffic lights are in use there will be a 5 minute wait time.

Reconstruct El Portal Road at the "Narrows" (a 1/4 mile section of road upstream of the Big Oak Flat Road (with connections to Highway 120)/El Portal Road (with connection to Highway140 intersection))

Update on the contractor's construction schedule for the El Portal Road reconstruction at the "narrows":

Beginning Monday, November 28 the contractor will be working during daytime hours (6:00 am - 6:00 pm) causing up to 30 minute delays.

Wednesday night (12/5/07) switch over to the bypass. ½ hour max delays to traffic during the nighttime work hours.

Beginning Sunday, December 9, 2007 this project will have the following traffic impacts:

Weekdays – Su - Thurs - 10:00 pm through 6:00 am - Full closure with one opening at 11:00 pm for exiting shift workers.

Mon - Fri - 6:00 am through 10:00 pm - One lane controlled traffic with 30 minute delays Weekends – Friday 4:30 pm through Sunday 10:00 pm - One lane controlled traffic with 30 minute delays

Well, what's left? They might as well close 120 and make it complete...
8^)

(news story sometime next spring) "Yosemite staff has discovered the reason for the valley's record low of having no visitors during December and January, despite the mild weather. It seems they got their signals crossed and closed all the access roads at once. The few visitors who actually tried to consolidate all the different closures and schedules were reported to have been lost, and are assumed to be sitting in their cars somewhere, babbling incoherently, and waiting for a nonexistent flagperson to wave them on."

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Beginning Wednesday, December 12, 2007 this project will have the following traffic impacts:


Weekdays

Mon - Thurs - 10:00 pm through 6:00 am - Full night closure with one opening at 11:00 pm for exiting/entering shift workers. (*Access to the Valley is available via Highway 41/Wawona Road)

Mon - Fri - 6:00 am through 10:00 pm - One lane controlled traffic with up to 30 minute delays


Weekends

Friday 4:30 pm through Monday 6:00 am - One lane controlled traffic with up to 30 minute delays, when the traffic lights are in use there will be a 7 minute wait time.

The contractor plans on working Saturday 12/15 and 12/22 from approximately 6:30 am until 6:00 pm which will cause up to 30 minute delays.

The good news is that no work will be performed during nighttime hours from now through the holiday period. There will not be any night closures until further notice.

For up to the minute information on the status of the El Portal Road call 372-0200...1...1...2.

Monday through Saturday – 30 minute delays from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

When traffic lights are in use during non-work hours there will be a 7 minute+- wait time.

The contractor will not be working nights for the next 2 weeks.

Note: Monday, January 21 is not an observed holiday in this contract, therefore contractor WILL be working.

Call 372-0200.1.1.2 for last minute updates.

Starting date for night work will beTuesday 2/19/08:

Monday - Thursday - 10:00 pm through 6:00 am - Full closure with one opening at 11:00 pm for shift workers.

Call 372-0200.1.1.2 for last minute updates on the status of the closure/opening of this road.

Beginning Thursday February 28 the contractor will be working 3 shifts on the El Portal Road project. They will also begin working Sunday nights. This will mean the traffic lights will only be used on weekend nights and Sunday. This schedule will continue until they are well above the river with the new retaining walls.

The following schedule will be in effect:

Monday through Saturday - 30 minute delays from 6 am until 10 pm
Sunday through Thursday nights - closure from 10 pm until 6 am with one opening at 11 pm

eeek wrote:

> Beginning Thursday February 28 the contractor will be working 3
> shifts on the El Portal Road project. They will also begin
> working Sunday nights. This will mean the traffic lights will
> only be used on weekend nights and Sunday. This schedule will
> continue until they are well above the river with the new
> retaining walls.

I think they already started it. 140 has been a nightmare all week, with near-half-hour delays nearly every time you go through.

Does anybody know what was wrong with this road to cause all of this? I thought it was a pretty decent road, now it's a disaster. I hope the business in Mariposa survive this; first the slide, and now the wait for the lights at the slide is nothing. But as soon as you get into the park, plan on sitting for half an hour while they do whatever it is they're doing. (it IS a major operation, but why are they doing it?)

41 is the only decent route in to the valley now, and it's the least likely to be open when there's snow.

The folks in Mariposa are mad at CalTrans for taking so long with the slide repair, but that's usually 5-6 minutes delay, this mess in the park is ridiculous, and is what will keep me from going in on 140 now. Seems to me I remember when they could fix highways without shutting them down...now they shut it down to fill a pothole.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

There will NOT be any night closure on Sunday 3/2 through Tuesday 3/4.