Large rocks ‘still sliding’ on highway to Shaver Lake with more rain likely this week

Highway 168, the main route to Shaver Lake and the High Sierra beyond, remained closed Monday morning due to a Saturday rockslide, the California Department of Transportation reported.

Early Sunday, the California Highway Patrol reported that the initial slide had expanded in size, complicating the opening of the highway.

The shifting of material above the highway continued Monday morning, according to CHP officer Shasta Tollefson. She said it was “going to take some time to get an engineer up there.

“Because of the rainfall, the rocks are still sliding,” she added.

There was also no immediate update from CalTrans about when the roadway would reopen. CalTrans continued to advise anyone heading for the China Peak ski resort or other recreation areas to take a detour to Auberry Road. Westbound traffic is being diverted to Tollhouse, with motorists warned to expect delays.

Weather conditions are also likely to have an impact on the reopening. The National Weather Service said rain was expected Monday with a series of storms hitting the central San Joaquin Valley and nearby region this week.

This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 8:16 AM.