UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13: East bound highway 50 is closed from Pollock Pines to 1.3 miles east of Riverton due to a mudslide. West bound 50 is also closed from Meyers to Strawberry due to another mudslide.
Motorists are advised to use alternate routes. Local residents with proper ID will be allowed access.
Another mud slide on west bound I-80 at Baxter is causing delays. Caltrans says mud is still slipping from the slide. This will cause intermittent full closures for cleanup.
Motorists are advised to use Highway 20 as an alternate route.
UPDATE 8 a.m. Feb. 13: Highway 50 is still closed from Pollock Pines to Strawberry.
The highway was shut down last week because of multiple mudslides.
Meanwhile, Interstate 80 is open, but westbound traffic is backed up in Blue Canyon due to Baxter slide removal lane closure. The California Highway Patrol is asking that motorists anticipate delays and exercise patience.
UPDATE 9 a.m. Feb 12: Highway 50 will not reopen Sunday. Crews are working to clear multiple mudslides on the roadway including one near Pollock Pines and another at Kyburz.
Meanwhile, officials are warning of major delays on westbound Interstate 80 from the state line to Truckee. The freeway was reduced to one lane because of mudslide work. The work is expected to last through Monday at 10 a.m.
UPDATE 1:08 p.m. Feb 11: Crews are continuing work to clear major mudslides on Highway 50, Caltrans says. The highway remains closed in both directions from Pollock Pines to Strawberry.
Caltrans estimates that traffic will begin moving on this section Sunday at 6 p.m.
Interstate 80 is now clear in both directions after spinouts and mudslides shut down multiple portions Friday.
UPDATE 7:12 p.m. Feb. 10: CHP says Interstate 80 between Truckee and Castle Peak has re-opened in both directions, though icy conditions continue.
Interstate 80 is still closed between SR-20 and Colfax due to a mudslide. Caltrans says a detour is available.
UPDATE 6:21 P.M. Feb. 10: Caltrans says that Highway 50 is closed from Pollock Pines to Meyers due to a mudslide.
There is no access from eastbound Highway 50, and local residents seeking access from westbound Highway 50 will be required to show identification.
Westbound traffic on Interstate 80 is being held at Truckee due to multiple spinouts.
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. Feb. 10: A mudslide has shut down both directions of Interstate 80 at Baxter Friday afternoon. There are no estimates on when I-80 will be reopened, although eastbound lanes will be open first, says Liza Whitmore of Caltrans.
Other mudslides shut down multiple parts of Highway 50. According to CHP Placerville, east bound Highway 50 is closed at Sly Park Road with no estimated time of opening.
CHP Placerville also say the road will be closed for a minimum of 24 hours due to landslides.
Traffic is being held on eastbound I-80 east of Castle Peak and westbound I-80 at Truckee due to spin outs and extremely icy roadways, according to CHP Truckee.
UPDATE 3:47 P.M. Feb. 10: A mudslide has shut down both directions of Interstate 80 at Baxter Friday afternoon.
There are no estimates on when I-80 will be reopened, although eastbound lanes will be open first, says Liza Whitmore of Caltrans.
"Part of the hillside just cut loose and went right over with trees and mud across all lanes of Interstate 80 right there," says Whitmore.
Some motorists are using Highway 20 to get around the slide, but Whitmore says that's causing long delays, especially through Nevada City and Grass Valley.
"I understand right now that Highway 20 is getting to be a parking lot," says Whitmore.
Highway 50 at Kyburz was also briefly shut down due to a mudslide. Lanes in both directions reopened as of 3:56 p.m.
Original post, Feb. 10: Both directions of I-80 are shut down at Baxter due to a mudslide, according to Caltrans. Baxter is approximately 12 miles east of Colfax.
Westbound lanes are closed at Donner Lake Interchange in Truckee. Eastbound lanes are closed at Colfax.
There is no estimated time of opening, but a detour is in place. The California Highway Patrol says motorists should expect significant delays.
Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
- Capital Public Radio Staff
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