Both the California Highway Patrol and Cal Trans emphasize that the highways to Idyllwild have suffered significant damage in the past week.
The large snowfall Wednesday and Thursday exacerbated the situation and created more dangerous opportunities. Therefore access to Idyllwild and Pine Cove will be strictly controlled.
CHP will establish a checkpoint on Hwy. 74 near Lake Hemet. They will permit residents, cabin occupants, business owners or employees to proceed to town.
To pass the checkpoint, CHP has stated, "Please be prepared to provide proof of residency, occupancy, ownership, rental, etc."
CHP also emphasized to non-residents, "Blocking the road to play in the snow is NEVER allowed."
“Vehicles left parked in any roadway or blocking construction zones are subject to citation and/or impound,” said Captain Mike Alvarez, commander of the San Gorgonio Pass CHP office. “Roadways must be fully accessible to emergency vehicles and construction equipment, so access to the Idyllwild-Pine Cove area will be restricted while Caltrans repairs the damaged roads from the rain and snow storms."
Hwy. 243 is closed from Banning to Idyllwild. Hwy. 74 is closed from Valle Vista to Mountain Center. The repairs will be extensive and take weeks and perhaps, months.