Last week, the U.S. Forest Service announced that two of its roads, Bee Canyon Road (5S07) and Idyllwild Control Road (5S06), in the San Jacinto Mountains were going to close down a month each for repairs.
“Due to this and next week’s storms, both road construction projects have been delayed and are currently scheduled to start on Monday, March 23, at the earliest,” wrote Zach Behrens, public affairs officer for the San Bernardino National Forest, in an email last week. “If there are any more changes, I will continue to update our Alerts & Notices webpage.”
Idyllwild Control Road (5S06) will be closed seven days a week between Apela Drive in Idyllwild and about 1.7 miles to the west in the Chimney Flats area, according to a prior press release.
“My goal is to limit future long-term closures so visitors can enjoy them all year long,” said District Ranger Julie Hall of the San Jacinto Ranger District. “So I’m asking engineers and crews to repair the roads in a way that avoids major future washouts and improves the surrounding natural resources.”
“Work on Bee Canyon Road will include defining a stream channel and better alignment of the road to better handle large precipitation events,” wrote Behrens in the prior press release. “Repairs to Idyllwild Control Road will include drainage improvements to stabilize the road and reduce sedimentation and erosion within the Alvin Meadows area. With water currently pooling on the road, the project will improve meadow functionality by restoring its inbound flow. Work will also decrease the movement of excess sediments into the meadow and surrounding area.”
To access the Alerts and Notices webpage, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sbnf/alerts-notices.
