Monitor Pass opens with nearly 20 feet of snow still along roadway
Caltrans crews have been working on seasonally closed mountain highways to get them open for spring and summer travelers. State Route 89 over Monitor Pass is now open as of Monday afternoon.
After the wettest winter in more than 100 years there are still some upper pass areas with 20 feet of snow. Caltrans District 10 maintenance crews continue to clear State Route 108, Sonora Pass and Ebbetts Pass, State Route 4.
Yosemite National Park handles the clearing of Tioga Pass, State Route 120, which is closed. Go here to catch a glimpse of what snow removal teams are up against along State Route 120 over Tioga Pass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crECtMJQ3OA
The Highway 120 closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station. (Highway 120, the continuation of the Tioga Road outside the park, is often closed in winter from Tioga Pass to five miles west of Lee Vining.
When the Tioga Road is closed, it is not possible to drive to Tuolumne Meadows or enter Yosemite National Park from the east. All other park entrances, including those along Highway 120 from the west, Hetch Hetchy, Highway 140, and Highway 41, remain open all year.
"While the snow may be melting, any roadway repairs, damaged culverts and downed trees must all be fixed prior to the opening of the mountain passes in District 10," was posted on Caltrans Twitter page.