SATURDAY UPDATE: Highway 299 reopens near Montgomery Creek; winter weather prompts chain checks on I-5
Update: 6:19 p.m. Saturday:Traffic is returning to normal on eastbound and westbound California State Route 299 about 6 miles east of Montgomery Creek following a vehicle recovery that had closed the road earlier today, said the California Department of Transportation.
Update: 4:05 p.m. SaturdayNorthbound Interstate 5 is now open to all traffic at Fawndale Road, 10 miles north of Redding, the California Department of Transportation said. The agency urged motorists to wait to travel in the area, if possible, due to traffic queues. "Travel slowly and carefully. Conditions can change at any time," said a social media statement from Caltrans.
Update: 9:44 a.m. Saturday
All vehicles traveling north on Interstate 5 are being screened for chains and trucks are being held 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale, according to the California Department of Transportation.Chain controls are in effect throughout Northern California, as a cold storm is expected to bring precipitation and gusty winds throughout the state, the agency said.
Update 3:45 p.m. Friday
Motorists driving on Highway 89 near McCloud in Siskiyou County are facing long waits and slow progress.
The stretch of highway near Colombero Road is under one-way traffic controls after a big rig truck hit a tree, blocking part of the road, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The agency didn't offer an estimate when the road will be cleared for two-way traffic.
Update, 7 a.m. Friday
With the second round of winter weather ready to pounce the North State later Friday, road restrictions on some highways and roads remain in place.
Authorities are screening vehicles on northbound Interstate 5 about 20 miles south of Dunsmuir. Motorists must have chains to proceed, Caltrans said.
Northbound trucks on I-5 also are being screened eight miles north of Lakehead.
On Highway 44 east of Redding, chains or snow tires are required from Viola to eight miles west of Old Station. Also, chains are required on single-axle-drive vehicles towing trailers from three miles east of Shingletown to Viola.
Chains are required on Highway 299 west of Redding three miles west of Weaverville. Chains are also required from about 10 miles east of Douglas City to about 20 miles west of Redding on Buckhorn Summit.
Original story
A winter blast of weather that moved into the North State on Thursday afternoon is starting to impact travel on area highways and roads.
The California Department of Transportation said that authorities have started screening vehicles for chains on Interstate 5 north of Redding at the Fawndale exit.
Caltrans started checking that all vehicles had chains around 3 p.m. Thursday.
Meanwhile, chains are required on single-axle vehicles towing trailers from about eight miles west of Old Station on Highway 44 east of Redding.
Chains or snow tires are required on Highway 89 from McCloud to about a mile south of the I-5 junction in Siskiyou County.
"Please research chain control locations as Caltrans is currently working to update chain control descriptions for consistency with internet mapping, like Google Maps and Mapquest," the agency said.
This winter storm is expected to drop as much as half an inch of rain on Redding and the surrounding foothills between Thursday night and Friday morning, according to the weather service’s Sacramento branch.
The rain will turn to snow for communities above 2,500 feet.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: UPDATE: Highway 299 reopens reopens near Montgomery Creek
