Repair work scheduled for Chimney Rock Road
Repairs expected to begin on Monday
– Paso Robles’ Chimney Rock Road, which was washed out during an early March atmospheric river event, is set to undergo repairs, according to the County of San Luis Obispo Public Works. The repair work had been delayed due to steep terrain, unstable soils, rising lake levels, and a continuous stream of storms since March 9. However, with no storms in the immediate forecast, the repairs are expected to begin on Monday, April 3.
The repair work will be carried out in three phases, with the first phase involving the construction of a temporary road upstream at a lower elevation than the existing road. This temporary road will provide limited access to residents, construction equipment, and emergency vehicles only. Drivers are advised to exercise extra caution on the roadway as the site remains an active construction zone.
In the second phase of repair, Public Works and Souza Construction, Inc. will construct a temporary bridge over the washout on Chimney Rock Road, which is expected to be open to all vehicles this May.
The third and final phase will be the long-term repair of the road. Public Works is considering a permanent bridge or a large-diameter culvert capable of passing large debris for 100-year storm flows.
Stranded residents in the lakeside communities of Running Deer Ranch, CAL-Shasta, and Tri-Counties are expected to have access to and from their homes for the first time since March 9 by the week of April 24, weather and site conditions permitting.
During the first major storm system to hit San Luis Obispo County on Jan. 9, culverts beneath Chimney Rock Road at milepost 12.425 (near Fawn Lane) washed out. County staff completed an emergency fix and reopened the road on Jan. 24. However, debris from subsequent storms damaged one of the two culverts leading to a complete failure of the road and embankment when another major storm hit the county on March 9. The new washout created an 80-foot-long and 50-foot-deep canyon bisecting the road.
Temporary traffic control devices will be installed to support traffic through the construction zone during all phases of the project. Drivers are advised to exercise caution and follow all traffic signs and signals.
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