This post was written by Lisa Cutting, 2002-2020 Eastern Sierra Policy Director, 2000-2001 Environmental Resource Coordinator, and 1999 Mono Lake Intern.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) project to improve motorist safety by reducing rockfall incidents along a one-mile section of Highway 395 near Old Marina is scheduled to begin in June. The project will stabilize six eroded slopes using a combination of anchored mesh material and an aggressive soil rehabilitation and revegetation plan.
Once the project begins, people traveling on Highway 395 north of Lee Vining can expect routine traffic delays of up to 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Even though construction won’t be occurring 24 hours a day, the highway will be reduced to a single lane with temporary traffic signals that will remain in place for the duration of the project.
In addition, the project will include two eight-day periods of complete road closure for up to one hour, Monday–Thursday mornings between 6:00am–7:00am. These hour-long closures will not take place on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in order to minimize the number of people affected by the delays, and the specific dates will be communicated well in advance on Caltrans’ electronic highway information signs, temporary signage, and online. The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore as well as our road conditions web page will also serve as a source for closure information and other updates on the project.
At first, the project area will look worse because of the slope disruption necessary to install the mesh. Once the anchored mesh is secure, the soil rehabilitation and revegetation phase of the project will begin, allowing plants to further stabilize the slopes, ultimately improving the area by revegetating the rockfall areas to a state similar to the adjacent healthy, and safe slopes. Committee engagement and member input have been critical in assuring that this project achieves positive outcomes (see Summer 2014 Mono Lake Newsletter for project details).
The Mono Lake Committee recommends all travelers check the road conditions web page before traveling in the area this summer.
This post was also published as an article in the Winter & Spring 2015 Mono Lake Newsletter.
Update: Caltrans has release the first project update.