EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF STATE ROUTE 78 FROM WYNOLA ROAD TO GREAT OVERLAND STAGE ROUTE (S-2) FOR ROCK SCALING

If you plan to go view wildflowers in the desert this weekend, be sure to read this and plan an alternate route.

March 8, 2019 (Julian)-- Caltrans crews are preparing to close a six-mile segment of State Route 78 (SR-78) from Wynola Road just east of Julian to Great Southern Overland Stage Route (S-2) later this afternoon for rock scaling activities, according to Caltrans. The emergency closure may extend through the weekend as needed to ensure that the highway slopes are stable.

Residents will be allowed access through the closures as safe to do so.

Motorists on eastbound SR-78 from Ramona toward Banner grade will be detoured onto northbound SR-79 at Santa Ysabel, then directed to turn right onto San Felipe Road (S-2), to eastbound SR-78 towards Ocotillo Wells.

Motorists on westbound SR-78, east of the closure, will be detoured to turn right onto San Felipe Road (S-2) to southbound SR-79, to Santa Ysabel to westbound or eastbound SR-78.

Crews responded late night Thursday to a mud and rock slide on SR-78, just east of Wynola Road and enacted one-way traffic control on the partially closed highway.

Caltrans inspected the highway slopes and determined that rock scaling is needed to remove loose soil and rocks. 

Caltrans will provide further updates about traffic impacts as they become available.

For real-time traffic information including traffic speed, lane and road closures due to construction and maintenance activities, and more, go to http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

Follow @SDCaltrans on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SDCaltrans and like Caltrans District 11 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaltransDistrict11 for news related to state transportation in San Diego and Imperial counties.

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