Decision to reopen San Bernardino Mountain roads draws mostly anger
San Bernardino County officials announced on Saturday night that nearly all routes in the San Bernardino Mountains were reopened for public travel. This message was not well received by many.
"Way too soon. Homes are collapsing now. The weather is terrible, and more to come," Jessica Marie posted to Facebook. "The poor mountain hasn’t had time to recover. People are still trying to dig out their homes and vehicles."
Of the mountain roadways, State Route 18 remains closed from Snow Valley Resort to the Big Bear dam due to high snowpacks and avalanche response, the county reported.
Large vehicles like buses, semi-trucks, and extra-long vehicles should use SR-330 from Highland instead of SR-18 from San Bernardino due to the closure of SR-18 through the Narrows (138/18 Crestline Bridge to Crest Forest Drive).
Detours for the closure are SR-138 to Crest Forest Drive or Lake Gregory Drive. Crews are working on rock removal, and the route will remain closed until further notice.
“Caltrans has sole authority over state highways," SBC spokesman David Wert told the Daily Press. "Members of the unified command were consulted on the decision by Caltrans to open the highways to all, but the decision is ultimately that of Caltrans."
Wert added that the decision to reopen roads was motivated at least in part by the need of mountain residents to receive help from family, friends, and contractors coming from down the hill, and the impracticality of stopping every non-resident vehicle and assessing need on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis.
“Caltrans has advised non-residents to be cautious and avoid interfering with the ongoing work,” Wert said. “County agencies are reporting that although there has been more traffic in the mountains this morning than there has been in recent days, there have been no conflicts with work and public safety crews.”
“Terrible idea!! People are still trapped in their homes, structures are still collapsing, there is no parking, we're down to one grocery store. We still have way too much snow. This is not the time to come play.”
Whitney Seward
Criticism, concerns, praise for the decision
The announcement by SBC received waves of criticism and some praise from citizens who took to Facebook to share their thoughts.
“No parking. No room. No grocery store here for them and the residents need the supplies we do have available,” Deborah Messina said. “It's obvious that the only people who have our best interest at hand are the residents. You can't even get up our street. It's so narrow due to snow.”
Sylvan Kirtley said in mountain communities, “roofs are collapsing daily on many businesses,” and the ones who can open “are barely there yet.”
“We have ONE grocery store from Crestline to Running Springs. People are still stuck in their homes,” Kirtley said. “The roads in some places are not two lanes. The schools can’t even open yet.”
Just because the mountain is considered a resort destination doesn’t mean it should welcome visitors during a crisis, Kirtley said.
Hayley Buckner asks, “What will it take for Caltrans District 8 to understand the severity of the situation up here? If you have crowds of snow players and drivers on narrow and still unplowed roads, someone gets hurt or even killed. You will only have yourselves to blame.”
Buckner added that the “flood gates” have been opened for nonresidents, despite no place to park, shop, or snow play. “Literally! Terrible decision!”
Bridgette Scott said she’s certain some residents would like to travel to the mountain communities to help those in need.
“Everyone complained about the (resident) check, but now complain about no check. Try to see the positive,” Scott said. "Caltrans District 8, thank you for all you have helped with.”
Ryan Crandell said that if the roadways are public, and “if tax dollars" are used to maintain them, then the roads need to be open to everyone.
Tiffany Ogilvie thanked Caltrans for allowing her and other residents to travel up the mountain to check for possible damage to cabins.
In her message, Lani Chaparro tagged SBC Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, whose third district oversees the mountain communities.
“Are you part of this decision? SB County Unified Command? Do you even know what’s going on up here?” Chaparro asked Rowe. “Have you trudged through the residential streets of Crestline & Running Springs? In Cedar Glen? People are still trapped in their homes. Snow so high they can’t dig out? Disgraceful.”
Commuter instructions for safely driving area
Commuters are suggested to bring chains as weather conditions can change rapidly. Be prepared for long traffic queues, as travelers could wait for some time.
Heavy fog, rain, and slick roads can create issues for motorists. Those that do not like driving in adverse conditions should consider traveling when conditions have improved.
“Please slow down, even though routes have reopened,” Caltrans officials said. “Our crews and partner agencies continue to utilize heavy machinery and are still at work.”
Nonresidents are asked to be aware that the community is still recovering. Be respectful, slow down, and do not park on the roadways blocking essential personnel trying to render help, Caltrans said.
If emergencies occur, routes may be temporarily closed to support operations.
High Desert, mountain communities preparing for more storms
Caltrans announced on Friday that another series of winter storms is expected to hit California over the next week and that the agency is preparing by pre-positioning equipment and personnel at strategic locations.
Caltrans officials are asking the public to limit nonessential travel during the storm's peak in affected areas and to be extremely cautious if travel is necessary. This includes not driving around safety barriers, road closure signs, or through flooded areas. As little as one foot of water can sweep a car off the road.
“Caltrans’ priority is the safety of the traveling public and affected communities,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “We have mobilized all resources and are working with state and local partners to prepare for more severe storms. Please stay off the roads if possible, and always stay alert during difficult conditions.”
Caltrans preparation includes placing additional staff and emergency contractors on standby.
Also, maintaining drainage systems during the storms to avoid blockages and overtopping of roadways; and initiating public outreach to provide up-to-date road information on closures.
When California experienced storms in January and February, Caltrans activated its district emergency operation centers and mobilized more than 4,000 crew members to respond to hundreds of incidents statewide in 12-hour work shifts around the clock.
The storm’s impact on San Bernardino County
After nearly a week of heavy snowfall that began on Feb. 22, SBC officials on Feb. 27 declared a local emergency after mountain residents found themselves trapped at home or unable to reach home due to several feet of snow that fell.
The historic storm covered the entire San Bernardino Mountain range from Forest Falls east to Wrightwood, which led to the National Forest Service issuing an emergency closure order and restricting mountain access only to residents and emergency crews.
On March 1, the roof of Goodwin’s & Son's Market in Crestline collapsed despite the owner's best efforts to remove snow from the roof during the historic storm.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, on March 1, proclaimed a state of emergency to support and fund disaster response and relief in SBC and a dozen other counties.
Newsom also activated the State Operations Center to bring higher-level support to county-led emergency response efforts and coordinate mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions, especially in SBC.
County, state and local agencies mobilized to deliver food, medications, and resources to mountain communities, then had the items to those who could not leave their homes.
Shelters were also set up at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead and Redlands East Valley High School.
SBC Sheriff's officials reported on Thursday that 13 people were found dead after weeks of powerful snow storms in the San Bernardino Mountains left many stranded in homes and caused dangerous conditions.
Sheriff’s officials said a preliminary assessment showed that only one of the deaths was weather related. One woman died at Bear Valley Community Hospital from a traffic incident during the storm.
A sampling of agencies that assisted with storm relief included SBC Fire, Caltrans, Cal Fire, the SBC Sheriff’s Department, California National Guard, SBC Public Works, the California Highway Patrol, and American Red Cross.
Additionally, churches, schools, nonprofits, the Orange County Fire Authority, and fire departments from Colton, Ontario, and Riverside.
Messages sent late Saturday night to Caltrans have not been returned
Residents running low on supplies or needing information should call the county’s 24-hour helpline at 909-387-3911 or by visiting snowinfo.sbcounty.gov.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Decision to reopen San Bernardino Mountain roads draws mostly anger
