Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Caltrans Hwy 395 rockfall project report #1

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Caltrans has released the first road report for the Lee Vining Rockfall Safety Project on Highway 395 along Mono Lake just north of Lee Vining:

Lee Vining Rockfall Safety project update #1

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Updates are also posted regularly on Twitter and Facebook.
Click here for all project updates and background.
Text from the official update is below.

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Lee Vining Rockfall Safety Project
Project Update #1
March 16, 2015

Status:
— Project design is complete. The project was advertised to contractors in January/February 2015 and on March 9, 2015 the contract was awarded to Papich Construction Co.
— Construction is estimated to begin approximately late April/early May with the first order of work being installation of stormwater protection and construction signage.
— The project purpose is to minimize the rockfall from six cut slopes north of Lee Vining near Mono Lake to improve safety. The project includes a plant establishment program on all slopes to reduce erosion, establish healthy soil, and promote successful revegetation.
— In addition, three of the slopes will receive anchored mesh to stabilize the slopes and reduce rockfall.

Timeline:
— Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2015 and continue through fall 2015. Construction may also be required in spring/summer 2016.
— Delays during construction will mostly be standard up-to-20 minute delays with two-way reversing traffic control.
— However, for several weeks during construction there will be 1 hour full closures, from 6 am to 7 am. At this time we don’t know when those 1 hour closures will be, but they will not be on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

More information:
— Cedrik Zemitis, Caltrans Project Manager, 760-872-5250 or by email. If you would like to be added to the email list for project updates, email Cedrik Zemitis.
— Florene Trainor, Caltrans Public Information Officer, 760-872-5235 or by email.
— For general State highway information: 1-800-427-ROAD (7623) or the website.