Reds Meadow Road work begins Oct. 1; delays likely
Road closes for season Oct. 11
Anyone who has driven the hair-raising road down into Reds Meadow, dodging buses and illprepared drivers, will be glad the road will soon get some serious attention.
But there is a price.
The road will close relatively early for the season, this time on Oct. 11. The closure will follow a tree removal operation that starts on Oct. 1 which will prepare for the upcoming reconstruction and widening of Reds Meadow Road. From Oct. 1 to Oct. 11, there will likely be as much as 30-minute delays for drivers due to this work.
After Oct. 11, no private vehicles will be allowed on the road and backpackers will need to make alternate plans to access the trailheads in Reds Meadow Valley.
The seasonal shuttle service to Reds Meadow has also ended.
The purpose of the Reds Meadow Road project is to “improve the deteriorated condition of Reds Meadow Road and improve vehicular travel mobility so as to continue to provide access to recreational resources,” the Town of Mammoth said in a recent update. “The roadway is currently in a deteriorated state, and the steep one-lane roadway in the upper two-an-a-half miles hinders user mobility as opposing vehicular traffic cannot readily and safely pass each other. The resulting conditions include long queues of waiting vehicles and ongoing safety concerns. Inadequate sight distance at curves and narrow shoulders also hinder passing and create additional safety concerns. Without improvements, the roadway deterioration will continue and vehicular mobility further constrained.”
A study and conceptual design were completed in late 2016, the Town said, and it “concluded a one/two lane combination or a continuous twolane roadway would most successfully address the improved mobility needs for the project.”
The project will also consider other improvements, including repaving the Minaret Vista parking lot and minor realignment of Reds Meadow Road near Devils Postpile National Monument to improve the poor sight distance curve, the Town said.