Roadway repairs still pending on Highway 178
Sep. 23—It's been 119 days — almost a third of a year — since cracked asphalt forced the closure of Highway 178 through the Kern River Canyon.
Passage has since been restored along one of the roadway's two lanes, and work is complete on a geotechnical assessment of damage apparently caused by this year's record snowmelt in the southern Sierra Nevada undermining the highway's support.
But still no decision has been made on how to proceed with repairs.
Meanwhile, around the clock, workers controlling traffic through the winding stretch of mountain road are being paid out of a state emergency fund at a rate averaging $11,000 per day. According to Caltrans, which is overseeing the project, the traffic control bill alone has already cost about $1.3 million.
What's still not ready is a final decision by the Caltrans Structures Design division on how, exactly, to fix the problem first noticed in late May.
Agency spokesman Christian Lukens said the division "is currently in process to determine how to approach the repair of that location." He noted an agency meeting that took place Friday looked at the project's timetable for beginning repairs.
"We're anticipating that design process to be done mid- to late October, and then construction" would begin, Lukens said. "The start of construction after that is dependent on what materials they choose as part of the design."
One repair option under consideration would allow work to begin almost immediately after a final design has been approved, Lukens said. Other options would require bringing in materials that wouldn't be available so quickly. He added that the agency expects to have a better idea early this week about the repair timetable and the road ahead.
The delay comes with inconvenience to motorists who use Highway 178 to get to and from their home, job or recreational destination.
Transportation planner Ahron Hakimi, executive director of the Kern Council of Governments, called Highway 178 a vital corridor in the county.
It becomes especially critical, he added, when Highway 58 closes because of traffic accidents or weather events, as happened last month during Tropical Storm Hilary.
"Kern COG looks forward to the speedy, full reopening of this critical state highway," Hakimi said by email.
The repair job is not unlike another emergency repair project Caltrans has undertaken not far away along Highway 155. Both efforts have involved long periods of no active, major roadway work.
A distinction, though, is that work on the 155 involved a segment more than 10 miles long that, when closed, allowed crews to clear debris or make minor repairs. Caltrans noted such work isn't called for on the 178.
Lukens said the overall progression has nevertheless been similar, starting with a damage analysis followed by testing at the site. It may have looked like no work was being done, he added, but Caltrans was actually busy the whole time.
"That's a long process that mostly takes place behind the scenes rather than on the roadway," he said.
