Stanislaus National Forest
Sierra Sun Times file photo
July 22, 2017 - SONORA, California – A vital and popular road on Stanislaus National Forest reopened Friday after Forest road crews completed temporary repairs. Permanent repairs are scheduled to begin this fall.
Cottonwood Road (Forest Route 1N04), which lies on Groveland and Mi-Wok Ranger districts, has been closed due to storm damage from the Thompson Meadow area (intersection with Forest Route 2N13) to the Woods Ridge area (intersection with Forest Route 1N76Y) as part of Forest Order No. STF-16-2017-03, Road and Area Closure. The temporary repairs mean visitors can travel from to God’s Bath on the Clavey River, Mi-Wok Ranger District, to Cherry Lake on Groveland Ranger District.
“Stanislaus and Eldorado National Forest road crews have been working on temporary repairs over the last three months to allow us to open the road for public use,” said Tim Hughes, Stanislaus National Forest’s chief engineer. “The repairs have narrowed the road to a single lane in several locations and many sections remain a one or two lane gravel road over short stretches.” The locations are marked with warning signs and hazard markers, Hughes said. “It’s still a damaged road, so motorists should be very cautious when driving on Cottonwood Road.”
Cottonwood Road suffered extreme and numerous storm damage occurrences in the February storms, including landslides, pavement failures, and side slope washouts. A team of engineers from the Federal Highways Administration evaluated the damage and is fast-tracking a design and contract award so work can begin on permanent repairs. It is anticipated that the full reconstruction work will begin this fall. This work will include repairs to Forest Route 3N01, just south of Cottonwood Road near Reed Creek, which, due to the severity of damage on this road, Forest crews were not able to repair and so it remains closed.
Visitors are encouraged to call their local Ranger District office for more information on road conditions.
Stanislaus NF Supervisor’s Office: 209-532-3671
Calaveras Ranger District: 209-795-1381
Groveland Ranger District 209-962-7825
Mi-Wok Ranger District at 209-586-3234 (Fridays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Summit Ranger District at 209-965-3434
Source: Stanislaus National Forest
