MENDOCINO Co., 4/18/17 — According to an update on the CalTrans District 1 Facebook page, this morning, the agency is now unsure of when it will be able to reopen Hwy. 101. They had previously predicted reopening on Wednesday, but the slide is still active, and with rain in the forecast, it’s uncertain when it will stop, and when workers will be able to safely remove the debris.
The location, about six miles north of Leggett, has had slides for some time now, and had been reduced down to one lane. A further landslide in the early hours of Monday completely closed the road.
There are no local detours available. Some people have braved the Bell Springs Rd., a county road that is unpaved in many places, rugged, remote and without cell service. Local authorities have urged people not to use this as an alternative route.
People making the trip north and south are urged to take Interstate 5, and plan ahead.
Here is the test of the post from CalTrans:
U.S. 101 CLOSURE UPDATE – 4/18 10:22 AM
The slide is still very active as of this morning, preventing crews from safely working to remove debris. Even if workers are able to begin removal operations today, more rain is forecast tomorrow, which may cause the slide to become active again.
At this point, there is no estimated time to reopening. While we’d like to remain optimistic, we’d encourage you to plan on including detours to Interstate 5 in your travel plans for the next few days. We’ll update regularly as we get more information.