Like rats in a maze, determined commuters are struggling to find passable routes over the hill to Silicon Valley, with only moderate success.
The last time county residents had this much trouble traversing Highway 17 was the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989.
“It’s scary that the number of ways out are dwindling,” said Jennifer Mantle, a school teacher who commutes to Saratoga. “It’s clear that repairs will be slow-going and difficult.”
Highway 17 is reduced to one lane in each direction from Granite Creek Road to the Santa Cruz/Santa Clara county line. The commute is not for the faint of heart, or for the impatient, as commute times reach 3 hours.
Northbound 17 morning commute traffic slows before Mt. Hermon Road and inches by Graniterock Construction workers at Vine Hill Road, site of the continuing massive mudslide.
As of mid-week, state transportation officials were offering no estimates when both lanes might re-open. Continuing rain will slow the process, they said.
Glenwood Drive, an alternative route around the Highway 17 bottleneck, is open, but the two-lane road backs up morning traffic to Scotts Valley Drive.
Work at the site had been suspended for five days following a fatal construction accident on Feb. 9, but crews resumed hauling away material from the Vine Hill mudslide on Feb. 14.
Bobby Gill, 54, a 15-year employee of Graniterock. was killed and a coworker was injured on Feb. 9 when they were struck by a work truck as they attempted to clear the mudslide debris.
With additional rain forecast through the end of next week, the crews could face new slippage. “Rain throws another monkey wrench into the equation,” said Susana Cruz, Caltrans public information officer. “It takes 30 days of no rain, on average, to cease sliding.”
Cruz said the slide area would be assessed after the slippage is removed. She offered no time frame for when northbound lanes on 17 might re-open.
The number of safe alternative routes for commuters was dwindling.
Highway 9 to Bear Creek Road is open but that route to Highway 17 includes two treacherous one-lane sections on Bear Creek.
Highway 9 is closed from Encinal Street in Santa Cruz to Glengarry Road in Felton because of a mudslide that has been plaguing that stretch of road for nearly a month. Travelers are advised to take Graham Hill Road. A temporary stoplight is in place just south of the Brookdale Lodge, because of damage to the northbound lane. The county has provided no estimates how long repairs might take.
The narrowing of the road continues to snarl traffic in both directions for commuters and students attending San Lorenzo Valley schools.
A washout on Highway 9 up the hill from Saratoga blocked Route 35 as another route to Silicon Valley. This was reopened on Wednesday, as repair crews continued work. Commuters from San Lorenzo Valley can take Highway 9 to Skyline Drive north to Page Mill Road, a lengthy proposition.
Soquel San Jose Road is completely closed, eliminating Old Santa Cruz Highway from the equation.
Caltrans’ Cruz said any additional rains could cause more damage. “The roads are saturated, a perfectly healthy tree can topple over,” she said. “Mother Nature is having her way with us.”
In one piece of good news, President Trump on Tuesday issued a federal disaster declaration to help the state recover from the January storms.
