The California Highway Patrol reports a portion of Highway 50 in the Sierra is in danger of collapsing after the shoulder gave way following heavy storms. The area in question is along westbound Highway 50, east of Bridal Veil Falls in El Dorado County.
Photo courtesy California Highway Patrol
CHP says the number two lane is now buckling, but the number one lane is still open as Caltrans works on repairs. Only lane is currently open due to the collapse and repair work. Caltrans has not said how long the repair work might last. In the meantime, traffic has been reduced to a single lane with east-west traffic alternating through the construction area.
The exact cause of the collapse is not know right now, but Caltrans says it could because too much water penetrated the base of the pavement through cracks and eroded the ground underneath in addition to washing away a portion of the hillside. Caltrans also is considering the possibility that nearby river rose to a point that it began to erode the hillside and speed up the road failure.