A big day on mountain roads
The mountain communities today saw major strides toward returning to normal, with key moments captured in this video.
While the County continued to serve many residents who remained immobilized by record amounts of snowfall, County road-clearing efforts passed the 85-percent mark systemwide. County crews working around the clock achieved 100-percent service in Mt. Baldy, Wrightwood, and Cedarpines Park; 100-percent service on primary roads in Crestline and 50-percent service on secondary roads; and 70-percent service on primary roads in Lake Arrowhead and 50-percent service on secondary roads.
Meanwhile, Caltrans opened up major stretches of highway to residents only with no escorts needed. These openings included State Highway 18 from San Bernardino to Snow Valley, State Highway 330 from Highland to Running Springs, State Highway 38 from Mentone to Big Bear, and the entire lengths of State Routes 189, and 173. State Highway 2 from Big Pines to State Route 138 opened to all traffic on Sunday night.
The County urges residents thinking about returning home to remember:
- Proof of residency required Proof of residency can be established with a valid government-issued ID that contains a mountain community address. Post office boxes from mountain communities are acceptable. Officials will also accept property tax records and utility bills for mountain properties as proof of residency.
- Has your street been plowed? Check with the County’s snow removal map.
- Be prepared to clear your driveway to access to your home.
- Park in clear areas and do not block snowplow access. Parking violations will be enforced.
- Many utility workers, road crews, and response teams remain in the area. Please drive with caution!
- Traffic conditions are continuously monitored and additional closures may be needed.
At this time, friends and family members of mountain residents will not be allowed on the above listed roads at this time. This limited opening will not extend to guests of vacation rental properties.
The decision to allow travel up and down the mountain is at the discretion of the Incident Management Team (IMT). This is a collaborative effort involving many agencies such as County Fire, County Sheriff, CHP, and CalTrans. The County has been advocating for residents to have access once road conditions are deemed safe by the IMT.
For more information on closures and other conditions affecting travel, please check the Caltrans QuickMap website or app.
For other snow guidance from County Public Works, visit our Snow Removal Frequently Asked Questions site.
|