Route 243 closed due to fallen boulder

4:20pm Update: Caltrans Geotechnical engineers have investigated the slope at the location where the boulder fell on highway 243. They have determined that the slope is safe and that once the debris and boulder from the initial slide are removed the road will be reopened.

Caltrans maintenance crews will be using a fifty thousand pound excavator, equipped with a hydraulic breaker, to disintegrate the boulder and remove the debris. This operation will begin around 6:00 p.m. tonight. SR 243 will remain closed until further notice.

(original Story)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is reporting that State Route 243 (SR 243) between Pine Cove and Idyllwild is closed due to a fallen boulder approximately 18 feet in diameter.

Cal Trans says the roadway may be closed until Monday at 6:00 p.m. while crews work to clear the boulder from the roadway.

Rock fall began before 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 10, and shortly thereafter the large boulder fell onto the highway. SR 243 will remain closed between Pine Cove Road and Franklin Avenue until further notice pending Caltrans Geotechnical investigation.

Motorists will be able to access the Pine Cove community from Interstate 10 (I-10), however not Idyllwild. Motorists traveling to communities north of Pine Cove (such as Idyllwild) must use SR 74 (through Hemet) to SR 243 as a detour.

View traffic conditions at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov.