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Portion of US 50 near Bridal Veil Falls collapses

The shoulder of U.S. 50 east of Bridal Veil Falls collapsed Tuesday morning.
Courtesy / CHP – Placerville

UPDATE, Wednesday: There is one lane open in each direction on U.S. 50 east of Bridal Veil Falls as crews work to stabilize the slope and repair the westbound lane that collapsed Tuesday due to soil erosion.

This stretch of the highway will remain two lanes “for the next few months” as construction takes place, according to officials at Caltrans.

UPDATE: At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, CHP in Placerville posted a video showing that one of the westbound lanes has now collapsed as well.

U.S. 50 is down to one lane in that area, and traffic is being metered through.

“This section of the highway will be under one-way reversing traffic controls today as contractor Doug Veerkamp Engineering, Inc. sets up k-rail for the work site, and it will be reduced to one lane in each direction for the next few months as repair work is performed to stabilize the slope,” said Steve Nelson, Caltrans District 3 public information officer, in a release.

Original story: Shoulder of US 50 east of Bridal Veil Falls collapses

The westbound shoulder of U.S. 50 east of Bridal Veil Falls in El Dorado County collapsed due to soil erosion, the California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday.

Traffic was cut down to one lane in this direction on Sunday over concerns of possible erosion under the highway. Caltrans has been monitoring the road conditions.

The lane closest to the shoulder is now buckling after the shoulder collapse. Crews have the other lane open as they work to repair the road failure.

CHP in Placerville stated in a Facebook video that with the wet weather, new waterfalls have sprung up — between 30 and 40 within just a 3-mile area — and are flowing underneath the roads, contributing to soil erosion.

Mudslides have also been plaguing the area, resulting in on-and-off closures along U.S. 50.


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