The California Department of Transportation reports that starting Monday, June 9, State Route 172 will be fully closed from Mt. Lassen Avenue to 5.5 miles east of the junction with State Route 36 in Mineral (Hole in the Ground Road) for continued emergency restoration efforts stemming from the Park Fire. Though not in Plumas County itself, the closure may impact travel to and from the northern portion of the county.
Access to the Mill Creek area will be open and available via the eastern junction with SR 36, east of Morgan Summit. This area of SR 172 is currently anticipated to reopen by the end of September.
Mt. Lassen Avenue will remain open to the public during operations. Access in the full closure area will be made for property owners and emergency personnel as needed. The Hole in the Ground Campground is currently closed due to damage from the Park Fire and a forest closure remains in effect in much of the Park Fire footprint.
This full highway closure will allow postfire emergency restorations to be made more quickly to remove remaining postfire hazards for the continued safety of the traveling public and locals in the area, said Caltrans. It is estimated that 4,000 to 5,000 trees damaged in the Park Fire need to be removed in this area.
Caltrans District 2 and J.F. Shea Construction Inc. thank local communities and the traveling public for their patience during these important restoration efforts.
Project information can be found on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), as well as on the Caltrans District 2 web page. The public can also call 530-225-3426 during working hours or send an email to [email protected].
