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Yosemite's Big Oak Flat Road To Reopen On Monday

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By NPT Staff - April 26th, 2017

After being closed since February so crews could rebuild a portion of it, Yosemite National Park's Big Oak Flat Road is scheduled to reopen Monday to traffic heading to the Yosemite Valley.

Road work will still be underway when the road reopens, according to park staff. Visitors planning to drive over Big Oak Flat road should be prepared for one-lane traffic closures with waits up to 15 minutes. The road will be closed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for several days as work crews finalize the repairs to the Big Oak Flat Road.

"We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the gateway communities and visitors for their support and understanding during the repair process," said Chip Jenkins, the park's acting superintendent. "We would also like to thank the Federal Highway Administration and the contractors for their great work and support over the past couple of months. Also, we'd like to acknowledge and thank the many park employees who worked tirelessly to get the road open. A sincere thank you to Michael Pieper, Yosemite National Park civil engineer, who did an amazing job and ensured that this project was completed in a timely and safe manner.”

Severe winter storms have given new life to an underground spring, causing saturated, heavy soils under the road to slide downhill. More than 200 feet of roadway was impacted. As a result of the slide, the Big Oak Flat Road from Crane Flat to Foresta Junction was unsafe for vehicular travel and closed for repairs since late February.

Park entrance fees will be charged at the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station beginning on Monday. Those fees had been waived while the road has been closed.

The El Portal Road (Highway 140) and the Wawona Road (Highway 41) are open and clear for all vehicular traffic to access Yosemite Valley and Wawona. Visitors traveling to and from Yosemite National Park are urged to drive with caution, follow posted speed limits, and be aware of rocks and debris on the roadway.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-372-0200, press 1 and press 1 again.

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