California

[thsftw]

Starting a road trip on Monday, going to June Lake first so I'm hoping they will open Sonora Pass by then! Never been up that way nor Ebbetts pass so at least I have an alternative now.

I did Sonora Pass three years ago. It was pretty steep, but I enjoyed it. Second highest crossing of the Sierra IIRC, and offers some really beautiful scenery. I think it was the western approach just before the actual pass, really steep stuff and your car will really get those RPMs up.

You're in luck!

https://twitter.com/Caltrans9/status/1667262643839840256

[TJS23]

Just saw as well, very impressive by Caltrans! Glad I don't have to add extra time on 88 or scare my girlfriend going up one lane on Ebbetts

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably worth noting that the one lane segment of 4 is still 12-15 feet wide.  It might be striped for one lane, but cars can easily pass each other. 

[gonealookin]

Just saw as well, very impressive by Caltrans! Glad I don't have to add extra time on 88 or scare my girlfriend going up one lane on Ebbetts

Depending on how good your brakes are you might scare her anyway on the Sonora Pass highway.  "TJS23, what's that burning smell?  "

I do promise you'll see a LOT of snow above 7500-8000 feet.  There won't be any opportunity for a quick roadside hike up there.

[cl94]

Probably worth noting that the one lane segment of 4 is still 12-15 feet wide.  It might be striped for one lane, but cars can easily pass each other.

Virtually all of the state highway 1-lanes are wide enough for 2 cars to pass. Really only an issue if you have trucks/long vehicles. Some of the local road 1-lanes get fun, though.

I do promise you'll see a LOT of snow above 7500-8000 feet.  There won't be any opportunity for a quick roadside hike up there.

And it'll still be another month until a lot of that melts. Monitor Pass just melted out today at the SNOTEL site, a full month later than normal, as did Marlette Lake. I'll be able to report on ground conditions at both Ebbetts and Sonora tomorrow, but SNOTEL shows 5 feet on the ground at Ebbetts and 3.5 at Sonora as of this morning.

[kkt]

Just saw as well, very impressive by Caltrans! Glad I don't have to add extra time on 88 or scare my girlfriend going up one lane on Ebbetts

Depending on how good your brakes are you might scare her anyway on the Sonora Pass highway.  "TJS23, what's that burning smell?  "

Using low gears is strongly recommended.

[cl94]

I can confirm that there is still a crapload of snow above 7500 feet as of today. Ebbetts probably has more snow right along the road, but Sonora might have more snow in view. Most of Sonora's viewpoints are open and and clear of snow, while those on Ebbetts are mostly blocked. Metric crapton of roaring seasonal waterfalls along 108 on both sides of the pass if you're into that.

Just saw as well, very impressive by Caltrans! Glad I don't have to add extra time on 88 or scare my girlfriend going up one lane on Ebbetts

Depending on how good your brakes are you might scare her anyway on the Sonora Pass highway.  "TJS23, what's that burning smell?  "

Using low gears is strongly recommended.

Oh, come on. It's only a 25% grade. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Sonora has the a much longer sustained grades compared to Ebbetts.  Ebbetts is only really steep east of Pacific Grade Summit to Hermit Valley. 

[cl94]

Yeah, as much as people hype up Ebbetts for being narrow, Sonora has much gnarlier grades. Several places with over 10% sustained on both sides of the pass, with that 25% east of the pass being sustained for close to a mile. And it's not like Sonora is any easier for a long vehicle with those tight turns.

[kernals12]

https://mynewsla.com/business/2023/06/14/county-stands-to-receive-45-million-for-transportation-projects/

Riverside County could get money from the state for the Mid-County Parkway.

[SeriesE]

The temporary lanes on I-5 near Twisselman Road got torn down now that construction is complete. That was a missed opportunity to not build the temp lanes as a permanent lane as I-5 really needs another lane due to the heavy truck traffic.

[pderocco]

It was probably light-duty asphalt, not intended to last.

Besides, any time you widen part of a road, you create a choke point where it necks back down.

I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley really is a strange interstate, given that it doesn't go through any significant towns for almost 300 miles, even though it's fairly close to several good-sized towns.

[Max Rockatansky]

It was probably light-duty asphalt, not intended to last.

Besides, any time you widen part of a road, you create a choke point where it necks back down.

I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley really is a strange interstate, given that it doesn't go through any significant towns for almost 300 miles, even though it's fairly close to several good-sized towns.

Caltrans has been putting those temporary lanes in on I-10 west of Blythe.  The amount of deterioration in a short time period makes it pretty obvious it's not long-life asphalt.  I've noticed it tends to work better than using the temporary left lane cattle chute.

[TJS23]

Hello reporting back, Sonora Pass was amazing, 10 ft snowbank at the summit! My girlfriend loved it! Definitely check it out! I also got to drive the June Lake Loop, Benton Crossing Road, and US 6 over Montgomery Pass for the first time.

[SeriesE]

It was probably light-duty asphalt, not intended to last.

Besides, any time you widen part of a road, you create a choke point where it necks back down.

I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley really is a strange interstate, given that it doesn't go through any significant towns for almost 300 miles, even though it's fairly close to several good-sized towns.

I know they're temporary, but I'm saying they should have been built to permanent lane quality and use it as a passing lane. Keep doing that throughout the entire CA-99 to I-580 segment and eventually there will be 3 lanes

[Max Rockatansky]

It was probably light-duty asphalt, not intended to last.

Besides, any time you widen part of a road, you create a choke point where it necks back down.

I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley really is a strange interstate, given that it doesn't go through any significant towns for almost 300 miles, even though it's fairly close to several good-sized towns.

I know they're temporary, but I'm saying they should have been built to permanent lane quality and use it as a passing lane. Keep doing that throughout the entire CA-99 to I-580 segment and eventually there will be 3 lanes

Right, but it definitely would need to be laid with a more resilient surfacing.  Concrete for one costs way more than whatever cheap asphalt Caltrans has been using for those temporary lanes. 

[SeriesE]

It was probably light-duty asphalt, not intended to last.

Besides, any time you widen part of a road, you create a choke point where it necks back down.

I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley really is a strange interstate, given that it doesn't go through any significant towns for almost 300 miles, even though it's fairly close to several good-sized towns.

I know they're temporary, but I'm saying they should have been built to permanent lane quality and use it as a passing lane. Keep doing that throughout the entire CA-99 to I-580 segment and eventually there will be 3 lanes

Right, but it definitely would need to be laid with a more resilient surfacing.  Concrete for one costs way more than whatever cheap asphalt Caltrans has been using for those temporary lanes.

Needs more durable structural soil too (whatever the technical term is) because a lot of places were lumpy but the pavement appears to be intact

[moabdave]

To add my $.02 Sonora Pass is my favorite of the "big 4" (Tioga, Sonora, Ebbets and Monitor). I think it has the best mix of scenery and views. Ebbets is probably the funnest for the shock factor with that 1 lane road part, but IMHO the views are better over Sonora.

[Max Rockatansky]

Interesting observation, how many people consider Sherman Pass in the big Sierra Nevada pass lot?  Sherman Pass ranks as the third highest highway pass after Tioga and Sonora.  I tend to think it gets overlooked given it is a Forest Service maintained road.  Hell, even Horseshoe Meadow Road (old CA 190) and Rocky Creek Road both exceed 10,000 feet in elevation beating out Tioga Pass.

[pderocco]

Being from SoCal, I've been over Sherman Pass many more times than the northern passes. It's a great ride, and includes one of my favorite wildflower spots a few miles east (north) of the pass. But the Sequoia NF website says it's still closed right now. Either they had an unusual amount of slide damage this year, or they just haven't got around to tidying it up due to the unusual amount of slide damage elsewhere in the NF. It's not a heavily used road. I doubt most people even know it's there, since it's not a state highway. But it doesn't have spectacular views like 120 and 108.

[Max Rockatansky]

Being from SoCal, I've been over Sherman Pass many more times than the northern passes. It's a great ride, and includes one of my favorite wildflower spots a few miles east (north) of the pass. But the Sequoia NF website says it's still closed right now. Either they had an unusual amount of slide damage this year, or they just haven't got around to tidying it up due to the unusual amount of slide damage elsewhere in the NF. It's not a heavily used road. I doubt most people even know it's there, since it's not a state highway. But it doesn't have spectacular views like 120 and 108.

The Sequoia National Forest page does regular updates.  There is a bunch of rock fall at the lower elevations that needed to be cleared.  I'm sure higher elevations still have lots of snow on the road.

[Plutonic Panda]

Perhaps we could see vital infrastructure projects expedited if Newsom's plan becomes a reality: https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/gov-newsom-proposes-efforts-to-speed-up-more-projects/61257

[Max Rockatansky]

Perhaps we could see vital infrastructure projects expedited if Newsom's plan becomes a reality: https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/gov-newsom-proposes-efforts-to-speed-up-more-projects/61257

Isn't that just reflecting the recent changes to NEPA which mandated a page limit and decisions to be made within certain timeframes?

[skluth]

Perhaps we could see vital infrastructure projects expedited if Newsom's plan becomes a reality: https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/gov-newsom-proposes-efforts-to-speed-up-more-projects/61257

Isn't that just reflecting the recent changes to NEPA which mandated a page limit and decisions to be made within certain timeframes?

I don't care if it's the guv or NEPA as long as it speeds up the overlong process we currently have

[kernals12]

Does anyone know what this vacant strip of land in Riverside County is for? My first assumption was that it was for the MCP but the RCTC website says that it would go along Placentia Avenue. It has no transmission lines and it's not a flood channel. So what is it?