The announcement that motorcycle riders, bicyclists and motorists have been waiting for – for about a year and a half – was announced on Friday morning: The Angeles Crest Highway is now open.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) opened a seven-mile stretch of Angeles Crest Highway (SR2) between La Cañada Flintridge and Angeles Forest Highway at 10 a.m. Friday morning.
“I know many of you have waited with great anticipation of the opening of Angeles Crest [highway], “ said Roy Fisher, Caltrans District 7 Deputy Director of Construction.
The highway was first closed down due to the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest.
“The [Station] Fire destroyed several hundred signs, miles of guard rail and sections of pavement,” Fisher said. “Additionally three of the four homes of our Chilao maintenance stations were destroyed by the fire.”
More of the highway was closed after heavy rains of December 2009 and January 2010.
“[The heavy rains] washed away several large sections of highway, in some locations the gap in the roadway was 150 to 200 feet across, and 200 to 300 feet deep,” he said.
This made the roadway impassable and unsafe.
Representatives from Congressman David Dreier, California State Senator Carol Liu and Assemblymember Anthony Portantino were on hand as well as those from law enforcement.
La Cañada Flintridge Councilmember Don Voss and Pat Anderson of the Chamber of Commerce thanked Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol for their support. Both urged motorists to obey all the traffic laws and “no big rigs,” referring to the tragic big rig accident that occurred at Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard on April 1, 2009. A big rig had driven over the Angeles Crest Highway, losing its brakes and crashing through the Foothill Boulevard intersection killing a man and his daughter and injuring several others. The damage cost $32 million to repair, with a majority of the fee being reimbursed by the Federal Highway Administration.
The highway is open from La Cañada to Wrightwood and State Route 138.
Angeles Crest Opens added by CV Weekly on
View all posts by CV Weekly →