California

[bing101]

Here is a tour by Asphalt Planet. Note as of July 2022 the Redwood Street overpass in Vallejo is under renovation. Some of the video will include Tennessee Street overpass in the renovation process.

[Henry]

I'm still trying to figure out why they made the new cable-stayed eastern portion of the Bay Bridge a single-level span while the western part (including the intermediate tunnel) is still double-decked. In any case, it is now the most elegant span in America, and I think it's cool that the Golden State Warriors incorporated the new eastern span into their logo.

[mgk920]

I'm still trying to figure out why they made the new cable-stayed eastern portion of the Bay Bridge a single-level span while the western part (including the intermediate tunnel) is still double-decked. In any case, it is now the most elegant span in America, and I think it's cool that the Golden State Warriors incorporated the new eastern span into their logo.

It is probably because of a public fear of driving on double decked structures in earthquake-prone places.

Mike

[kkt]

Just for a nicer view than the underside of a bridge deck.

PS, I don't think you have to go very far at all to find a much more elegant span than the Bay Bridge.

[cl94]

SR 89 between Markleeville and SR 88 will be closed for a while. Yesterday's monsoon storms dropped close to 3 inches of rain on the Tamarack burn scar, leading to massive flash flooding. At least one segment of SR 89 was washed out and quite a bit more is covered in mud and debris. Caltrans District 10 has pictures and more info on Twitter and Facebook

[gonealookin]

SR 89 between Markleeville and SR 88 will be closed for a while. Yesterday's monsoon storms dropped close to 3 inches of rain on the Tamarack burn scar, leading to massive flash flooding. At least one segment of SR 89 was washed out and quite a bit more is covered in mud and debris. Caltrans District 10 has pictures and more info on Twitter and Facebook

The washout on SR 89 is close enough to the town of Markleeville that it's between the town and the only alternate dirt road access (Airport Road out to the Alpine County airstrip and Indian Creek Reservoir).  So the only routes to Markleeville are via either Monitor Pass (SR 89 out to US 395) from the east or Ebbetts Pass (SR 4 over the Sierra crest to the west).  Not a very convenient situation for those folks.  More thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next couple days too.  These fires strip all the vegetation which has an impact for a long time after the fire is extinguished.

[cl94]

SR 89 between Markleeville and SR 88 will be closed for a while. Yesterday's monsoon storms dropped close to 3 inches of rain on the Tamarack burn scar, leading to massive flash flooding. At least one segment of SR 89 was washed out and quite a bit more is covered in mud and debris. Caltrans District 10 has pictures and more info on Twitter and Facebook

The washout on SR 89 is close enough to the town of Markleeville that it's between the town and the only alternate dirt road access (Airport Road out to the Alpine County airstrip and Indian Creek Reservoir).  So the only routes to Markleeville are via either Monitor Pass (SR 89 out to US 395) from the east or Ebbetts Pass (SR 4 over the Sierra crest to the west).  Not a very convenient situation for those folks.  More thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next couple days too.  These fires strip all the vegetation which has an impact for a long time after the fire is extinguished.

Yeah, Monitor Pass is the recommended detour. Alpine County is in for a wild few years with post-fire effects. I'm not looking forward to dealing with Caldor Fire scar slides/flooding in the position I'm about to join.

Let's just hope that Monitor Pass stays open, because that's the only good way in/out of Markleeville for the foreseeable future. Closest stores/services are in the Carson Valley and trucks serving the few businesses in Markleeville can't easily get over Ebbetts Pass.

[cl94]

SR 89 between Markleeville and SR 88 will be closed for a while. Yesterday's monsoon storms dropped close to 3 inches of rain on the Tamarack burn scar, leading to massive flash flooding. At least one segment of SR 89 was washed out and quite a bit more is covered in mud and debris. Caltrans District 10 has pictures and more info on Twitter and Facebook

The washout on SR 89 is close enough to the town of Markleeville that it's between the town and the only alternate dirt road access (Airport Road out to the Alpine County airstrip and Indian Creek Reservoir).  So the only routes to Markleeville are via either Monitor Pass (SR 89 out to US 395) from the east or Ebbetts Pass (SR 4 over the Sierra crest to the west).  Not a very convenient situation for those folks.  More thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next couple days too.  These fires strip all the vegetation which has an impact for a long time after the fire is extinguished.

Yeah, Monitor Pass is the recommended detour. Alpine County is in for a wild few years with post-fire effects. I'm not looking forward to dealing with Caldor Fire scar slides/flooding in the position I'm about to join.

Let's just hope that Monitor Pass stays open, because that's the only good way in/out of Markleeville for the foreseeable future. Closest stores/services are in the Carson Valley and trucks serving the few businesses in Markleeville can't easily get over Ebbetts Pass.

Well, Ebbetts Pass is closed after today's rain due to a slide. No estimated reopening time per Caltrans District 10. Only way in or out of Markleeville is Monitor Pass.

[bing101]

https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/news/westbound-highway-37-to-close-from-vallejo-to-sears-point-for-five-nights/?ref=moststory

A section of CA-37 to be repaved.

[gonealookin]

SR 89 between Markleeville and SR 88 will be closed for a while. Yesterday's monsoon storms dropped close to 3 inches of rain on the Tamarack burn scar, leading to massive flash flooding. At least one segment of SR 89 was washed out and quite a bit more is covered in mud and debris. Caltrans District 10 has pictures and more info on Twitter and Facebook

The washout on SR 89 is close enough to the town of Markleeville that it's between the town and the only alternate dirt road access (Airport Road out to the Alpine County airstrip and Indian Creek Reservoir).  So the only routes to Markleeville are via either Monitor Pass (SR 89 out to US 395) from the east or Ebbetts Pass (SR 4 over the Sierra crest to the west).  Not a very convenient situation for those folks.  More thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next couple days too.  These fires strip all the vegetation which has an impact for a long time after the fire is extinguished.

Yeah, Monitor Pass is the recommended detour. Alpine County is in for a wild few years with post-fire effects. I'm not looking forward to dealing with Caldor Fire scar slides/flooding in the position I'm about to join.

Let's just hope that Monitor Pass stays open, because that's the only good way in/out of Markleeville for the foreseeable future. Closest stores/services are in the Carson Valley and trucks serving the few businesses in Markleeville can't easily get over Ebbetts Pass.

Well, Ebbetts Pass is closed after today's rain due to a slide. No estimated reopening time per Caltrans District 10. Only way in or out of Markleeville is Monitor Pass.

Ebbetts Pass was reopened rather quickly.  However, SR 89 north of Markleeville is going to have an extended closure, leaving that Monitor Pass route as the primary access.  https://www.recordcourier.com/news/2022/aug/06/highway-89-repairs-could-take-month/

"That lane is undermined to the point where we have another event ... it's just not safe,"  CalTrans representative Bob Highfill told a town hall meeting in Markleeville.

State workers will install a larger box culvert on Highway 89 at the entrance to the historic town. That process could take 4-5 weeks.
...
Crews were working on an alternative route into town in hopes of having emergency access by Wednesday.

Highfill said a temporary bridge brought to help improve access ended up being short of the 55 feet required for the span. He said bringing in a new temporary bridge would take as long as installing the culvert.

[GaryA]

Those who are interested in fragments of old US 101:  It looks like the section of original concrete (sometimes labelled Vendell Rd) branching off of Agoura Rd near Liberty Canyon Rd in Agoura Hills will probably be largely covered up if not destroyed by the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing as that is constructed over the next few years.

GSV reference: https://goo.gl/maps/zJkChGFVoqC9bpG98, although much of the concrete was trenched and patched recently and is in worse shape than shown in GSV.

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like SR-190 in Death Valley is going to be experiencing some closures for another week: https://apnews.com/article/floods-california-department-of-transportation-climate-and-environment-a09b3c47f1d941eeb889618e35ffc375

[kernals12]

It looks like SR-190 in Death Valley is going to be experiencing some closures for another week: https://apnews.com/article/floods-california-department-of-transportation-climate-and-environment-a09b3c47f1d941eeb889618e35ffc375

Let's look for the downsides of record rainfall in one of the driest places on earth

[gonealookin]

It looks like SR-190 in Death Valley is going to be experiencing some closures for another week: https://apnews.com/article/floods-california-department-of-transportation-climate-and-environment-a09b3c47f1d941eeb889618e35ffc375

Let's look for the downsides of record rainfall in one of the driest places on earth

The reason those side-canyons in Death Valley and parts of southern Nevada and Arizona look the way they do is these once-a-decade events that send incredible amounts of water and debris rushing through in a very short amount of time.  Flash floods in the desert are spectacular, and very deadly if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[skluth]

We had rain in the mountains around Palm Springs also. The tram up Mt San Jacinto is closed currently as the road washed out a couple days ago. It wasn't as much rain and therefore not as damaged as it was three years ago when we got 3"+ rain in one day, but even half an inch of rain can cause significant damage. 

Rain on the mountain does not mean it rains in the valley. I've only seen a trace in town while the surrounding mountains have gotten a fair amount of rain from this extended monsoon.

[skluth]

Very weird story from yesterday. A small plane made an emergency landing on the 91 Freeway in Corona. The pilot needed to make an emergency landing and took advantage of a gap in freeway traffic. He did hit the back of a pickup and the plane itself is a wreck but fortunately nobody was hurt. Someone's car video amazingly captured the crash which happened just behind them.

[pderocco]

It looks like SR-190 in Death Valley is going to be experiencing some closures for another week: https://apnews.com/article/floods-california-department-of-transportation-climate-and-environment-a09b3c47f1d941eeb889618e35ffc375

The road was covered for 30 miles, so they closed 80 miles of it?

[gonealookin]

Very weird story from yesterday. A small plane made an emergency landing on the 91 Freeway in Corona. The pilot needed to make an emergency landing and took advantage of a gap in freeway traffic. He did hit the back of a pickup and the plane itself is a wreck but fortunately nobody was hurt. Someone's car video amazingly captured the crash which happened just behind them.

These stories make me angry.  I worked in Concord for a while and could easily have been on I-680 when this one happened.  A busy freeway is not an emergency runway; if the pilot tries to save his own life by setting down on the freeway he's putting a lot of innocent people at risk.  From that one in 2004:

A four-seat airplane crashed on a busy Contra Costa County highway shortly after takeoff Tuesday, severely injuring an 11-year old girl as it sliced open the minivan in which she was riding, and burst into flames during the evening commute.

Miraculously, no one else was seriously injured in the crash, and the pilot and his son walked away from the charred wreckage of the Piper Turbo Arrow that littered Interstate 680 in Pleasant Hill.

"I just aimed for an open spot on the freeway and prayed," said the pilot, Robert Curt Hatch, 43, of Grand Junction, Colo.

The girl remained in surgery at Children's Hospital in Oakland last night after her leg was cut by the plane's propeller as it sliced through the roof and a door of her parents' minivan.
...
Hatch said the plane was going about 75 mph when it grazed a pickup truck before landing atop a blue Dodge Grand Caravan minivan. As the wings caught fire, the three-blade propeller ripped through a passenger door like a can opener, smashing the window, shearing the vehicle's body and slicing the girl's leg. The van skidded 100 feet before stopping.

Here's a subsequent follow-up.  I hope Mr. Hatch is still paying for his actions.

National Transportation Safety Board Judge Patrick Geraghty ordered Robert Curt Hatch's pilot license to be suspended for five months for operating an aircraft in a "reckless" manner. Hatch landed a malfunctioning Piper PA-28RT-201T, N2920C on a busy freeway April 13, 2004, seriously injuring an eleven-year-old girl.
...
(Hatch) landed the airplane on the southbound side of the I-680 freeway. During the landing rollout the left wing struck one vehicle and the right wing of the airplane struck a second vehicle, which spun the airplane around.

The propeller struck Arianna Jimenez, a passenger in the second vehicle, nearly amputating her leg. She has undergone numerous surgeries and will face more in the future. The family claims more than $1 million in medical bills. A civil suit is pending.

Hatch and his son escaped unharmed, and the aircraft was consumed by fire.

[citrus]

It looks like SR-190 in Death Valley is going to be experiencing some closures for another week: https://apnews.com/article/floods-california-department-of-transportation-climate-and-environment-a09b3c47f1d941eeb889618e35ffc375

The road was covered for 30 miles, so they closed 80 miles of it?

I mean, I doubt there is anything at all in the other 50 miles out there, so may as well save folks the trouble of being able to drive 50 miles just to have to turn around and drive 50 miles back.

[ClassicHasClass]

Yeah, there's not a lot on CA 190 other than Death Valley. I guess you could take in the brisk urbane sights of Darwin, or the usually closed Amargosa Opera House.

[Max Rockatansky]

Star Wars Canyon and a bunch of ghost towns around Panamint Valley are accessible from eastern CA 190.  Too bad Horseshoe Meadows Road isn't part of eastern CA 190 anymore because that is one of the coolest roads in California (and higher than Tioga Pass Road).

[kernals12]

Contract for the 105 express lanes has been awarded
https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/flatiron-wins-la-transport-schemes-worth-800m/

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^ that's bizarre metro hasn't said anything and I don't recall them identifying any preferred alternative. Their latest update on the website just shows the EA was released in 2020. Are we sure this isn't just appropriating money and/or engineering or design?

[kernals12]

^^^^ that's bizarre metro hasn't said anything and I don't recall them identifying any preferred alternative. Their latest update on the website just shows the EA was released in 2020. Are we sure this isn't just appropriating money and/or engineering or design?

Metro isn't the best at updating its website.

And the contract is worth $500 million. That'd be some very expensive engineering or design.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^ that's bizarre metro hasn't said anything and I don't recall them identifying any preferred alternative. Their latest update on the website just shows the EA was released in 2020. Are we sure this isn't just appropriating money and/or engineering or design?

Metro isn't the best at updating its website.

And the contract is worth $500 million. That'd be some very expensive engineering or design.

If so that absolutely sucks if they're only going with a simple conversion into an express lanes as one of the alternatives had two express lanes each way at the expense of a standard freeway shoulder. Yes freeways should have shoulders but traffic relief would be better I use this road at least once a week and two express lanes each way would be a god send.