After decades of disrepair, California State Parks has pulled together the funding to patch a 5.25-mile section of heavily-touristed pavement in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The bumpy, narrow route, pitted with potholes, has been the bane of locals and big tree gawkers alike for years . According to Brian Merrill, a senior geologist with California State Parks, the organization had been awaiting some funding help from the county of Humboldt to resurface the road, but with the county’s ongoing infrastructure woes, this collaboration never came to fruition. So when a key bit of state funding – requested for years – came through, the park decided to get going. The lone hitch: A potentially major inconvenience for those hoping to use that stretch of Mattole Road, which goes from U.S. Highway 101 west to the Grasshopper Road intersection, connecting the remote Mattole Valley with the highway. Paving is set to begin in mid-July, and exactly how long it will last — well — Merrill wants to hear how you feel about that.
The extremely narrow nature of the road, which is squeezed on either side by old-growth redwoods, means the whole stretch must be closed as the pavement is applied and allowed to cool. If public input leans towards a “rip off the band aid” approach, the road may be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for six consecutive days (emergency vehicles will be allowed through). Alternatively, the park could close for one or two days a week for a longer period of time – up to eight weeks – as crews patch 37 different spots on the road. Along with providing access to hamlets in the Mattole Valley, this route also connects to the Cuneo Creek and Albee Creek Campgrounds and some favorite tourist destinations, including the Rockefeller/Bull Creek Flats loop and the Giant and Flatiron Trees.
Merrill added that the road would not be closed on weekends, and that public input about the timing and length of closures is welcome. Public meetings are expected to be held in late February or early March. The regional state parks office can be reached at (707) 445-5344.
Editor’s note: This blog originally contained incorrect information about the extended closure option, stating it would close for a few hours rather than a full day. It has been updated to correct that misstatement. The Journal regrets the error.
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This article appears in How to Kick Ass in 2017.
Just get it done as fast as one possibly can!!! It’s a terrible road and an already dangerous one at that!
BANDAID approach, get ‘er done, and sooner the better. To think we could drive through to town without threat of ruining our car, nervous system, etc., etc., is WELL worth driving the other way for six days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!! and THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Great!!!
Only one downfall, those already speeding locals will be able to drive even faster. But for those of us that travel that road regularly, the holes in that road are dangerous. You need to watch for on coming vehicles but also keep and eye on the “death” holes.
Looking forward to it getting done.
Thank you
Rip off the bandaids grind and pave the whole road like it should be done not just small sections. It’s easier to overlay than to just fix the problem spots. Take your time and do it right please!
Finally! I don’t care if it takes weeks to do.. Just do a complete job.. gut the road and pave it like it was going to be a new road.. NO MORE BANDAIDS PLEASE!!! It has gotten to be a real jaw breaker to drive it.. worst we’ve seen it in over 40 years!!! so, thank you, thank you! It will be a blessing to drive on a smooth road.. whoa… 🙂