Yosemite National Park Continues to Repair Big Oak Flat Road - Yosemite News Release March 29, 2017

Big Oak Flat Road Remains Closed from Crane Flat to Foresta Junction

Yosemite National Park continues to repair the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 West) leading to Yosemite Valley. Severe winter storms that have given new life to an underground spring caused saturated, heavy soils under the road to slide downhill. Over 200 feet of roadway has been impacted. As a result of the slide, the Big Oak Flat road from Crane Flat to Foresta Junction has been unsafe for vehicular travel and closed for repairs since late February. There is no estimated date for the road to reopen.

Work crews are working around the clock, as weather permits, to install drainage and erosion controls and to repair the road. As of today, crews have dug down 50 feet to the spring and are installing French drains for drainage control. More drains will be installed later this week.

Visitors are encouraged to visit Yosemite National Park via the Big Oak Flat entrance. The park has waived the entrance fee for all vehicles entering via the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station. Visitors entering the park via Highway 120 can enjoy camping at Hodgdon Meadow Campground, snowshoeing and Nordic Skiing from Crane Flat and hiking in the Merced and Tuolumne Groves of Giant Sequoias. Park entrance fees still apply to all visitors entering the park via the Arch Rock and South Entrance Stations.

Highway 140 (El Portal Road) and Highway 41 (Wawona Road) are open and clear for all vehicular traffic to access Yosemite Valley, the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area, and Wawona. Visitors traveling to and from Yosemite National Park are urged to drive with caution and be aware of rocks and debris on the roadway.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-372-0200, press 1 and press 1 again.

I feel bad for the businesses along the Hwy 120 corridor (Buck Meadows, Groveland, Big Oak Flat). They are (and will continue to be) hurt really hard by the Big Oak Flat Road closure, at least until Tioga Road opens up sometime in June or early July.

By the looks of it, I don't expect this section of Big Oak Flat Road to be open to the public until late summer at the earliest.

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Leave No Trace

Also for those still traveling up Hwy 120 from the west, Caltrans is doing major retrofit work on the James E. Roberts Memorial Bridge (that's the Hwy 120 bridge that crosses over the Don Pedro Reservoir) that will necessitate one-lane traffic controls during the day and nighttime closures starting at 5:00 PM (on selected dates like Tuesday and Wednesday (April 11 & 12).

https://www.facebook.com/119234288129759/photos/a.463760740343777.107596.119234288129759/1232340743485769/

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Leave No Trace

And who knew that on a clear day one could see Half Dome from the James E. Roberts Memorial Bridge:

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Leave No Trace

I don't think Half Dome is as close as it looks.

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ERICG
I don't think Half Dome is as close as it looks.

Or in that direction. (The bridge curves to the north, so HD is behind the photographer...).

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basilbop
HD is behind the photographer...).

But in front of the Photoshop user.