California's transport agency, Caltrans, will begin a major four-year project to repair a long stretch of Highway 4, including the historic Ebbetts Pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The work is now scheduled to start on August 3 after being delayed.
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The $36.4 million project will cover about 31.7 miles of highway 4 in Alpine County. The route passes through well-known destinations such as Bear Valley, Lake Alpine, Mosquito Lakes and Pacific Valley before crossing Ebbetts Pass, one of the last remaining wild routes across the Sierra Nevada.
The repair work is aimed at improving the ageing road while keeping its existing layout. Caltrans said the project is expected to finish in autumn 2030.
The project was originally due to begin on July 13. However, Caltrans postponed the start until August 3 to reduce disruption during the Bear Valley Music Festival, which runs from July 17 to August 2 and attracts around 4,000 visitors. Before the delay, only pre-construction survey work had been carried out.
In a Facebook post announcing the change, Caltrans said, "#CaltransDistrict10 is working with Alpine County communities toward one of its guiding principles of prosperity by delaying the State Route 4 Anchor pavement project to allow for peak of summer-season activities to continue work on this project."
Hooker said the delay will not affect the overall construction schedule, with the project still expected to be completed in autumn 2030.
The Ebbetts pass is registered as a California historical landmark.
Challenging mountain road
Repairing Ebbetts Pass is not easy because of the terrain. The road reaches an elevation of 8,050 feet at the Pacific Grade Summit. While much of Highway 4 has two lanes, the road becomes narrow, steep and winding at higher elevations, with some sections reduced to a single lane. The highway also closes during winter because of heavy snow. Caltrans said the project will not widen the single-lane sections.
"There are a host of unique challenges facing Caltrans and the contractor when performing work along our scenic mountain pass highways," Caltrans spokesperson Brian Hooker told SFGATE.
"Some of those challenges include the steep mountain terrain, narrow highway corridors, potentially short windows for construction based on seasonal weather patterns and also providing accommodations for outdoor recreational activities and local economies which are largely based on tourism."
