Highway near Yosemite National Park closed ahead of unsafe weather conditions

Heavy rains and unsafe slope conditions have necessitated the temporary closure of a portion of state Route 140 in Mariposa County near Yosemite National Park, Caltrans announced on Monday.

State Route 140 closed between the Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort in Midpines to the Yosemite Cedar Lodge in El Portal at 7 p.m. on Monday, according to a Caltrans news release. The agency closed the highway "for the safety of the traveling public," the news release said, due to strong rain and low temperatures that are expected to hit the area this week.

The closed portion of State Route 140 runs through the Merced River Canyon, which is known for its notoriously unstable slopes. Last week, the highway was closed from the Yosemite Cedar Lodge to the Bear Creek Bridge in Briceburg after a rockslide measuring 100 cubic yards fell across both of its lanes. A similar rockslide shut down parts of the highway in March of last year, causing headaches for residents commuting into Yosemite Valley and impacting profits at local businesses.

Caltrans' Midpines-based maintenance crew will reassess the highway after this week's storm to determine whether or not it is safe to reopen, the agency wrote. Travelers are advised to check the agency's QuickMap feature for real-time road conditions, tune their radios to the Caltrans Highway Advisory Radio at 530 AM, 1610 AM or 1670 AM, or call the Road Condition Hotline at 800-427-ROAD.

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