Holiday weekend motorists headed home from Lake Arrowhead-area mountain resorts were warned of worse traffic than usual Monday, when a giant pothole swallowed a section of a road linking the mountains to the outside world.
Pavement on state Route 138 fell into a hole about 10 miles east of its junction with Interstate 15 in Cajon Pass, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Pavement was slumping, and power lines had also sagged dangerously close to the road, CHP officers said.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY IN SB COUNTY: EB SR-138 ON SBCO SIDE WILL BE CLOSED / SINK HOLE REPAIR, USE SR-18 AS ALT ROUTE. REF INLAND LOG# 0545
— CHP PIO – LA County (@CHPsouthern) May 29, 2017
A Sigalert was issued at 11:34 a.m. and was expected to remain in place for the remainder of the day. By midday, Caltrans crews were allowing alternating traffic past the repair job.
Caltrans officials advised motorists hoping to use Ranchero Road and Arrowhead Lake Road around the heavy traffic in the area. Highways 18 and 330 via the front side of the mountain and San Bernardino was also a good detour, the CHP said.
— City News Service