Reopening date for Highway 89 in Sierra earliest in a decade

"Caltrans District 9 & 10 maintenance crews made great progress this year with our snow removal operations and road repairs to safely re-open the highway to the traveling public, earlier than normal. The highway over Monitor Pass spans roughly 17 miles, connecting Highway 395 in the east over the pass toward Markleeville."

"It's absolutely a huge major artery from LA up to Tahoe. Once word gets out that Monitor Pass has opened, there'll be an uptick in traffic. Monitor Pass often reopens in April, as it often has for the last 10 years, or sometimes in May, like it has three times in the past decade."

"It's been an odd winter. Our best storm was three weeks ago. Three-and-a-half feet in Markleeville. There was powder and treacherous driving conditions. It brought the skiers to town. But one week we had a blizzard and the next week we had a hurricane. The early spring has started for us."

Highway 89 at Monitor Pass reopened to traffic on Thursday, the earliest opening in ten years despite California's snowpack remaining at 66% of average. Caltrans maintenance crews completed snow removal and road repairs ahead of schedule. The 17-mile highway connects Highway 395 to Markleeville and serves as a major route between Lake Tahoe and Southern California. Local business owners anticipate increased traffic following the reopening. Alpine County experienced an unusual winter with sporadic storms and rain rather than consistent snowfall. The earliest historical reopenings occurred in 2014 and 2015 during extreme drought conditions. Businesses are preparing for the seasonal shift by stocking spring supplies.

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