Caltrans splits & removes boulders along HWY 243
Boulders and smaller rocks that rolled onto state Route 243 near Idyllwild during the recent winter storms were being removed Wednesday to make travel safe through the area, where traffic disruptions are likely for the remainder of the week.
“There were two or three locations where we had some boulder-size rocks come down,” Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga told City News Service. “So our crews are out there getting these things out of the roadway.”
She said the “rock-splitting” operations are expected to continue until the weekend, so motorists using the 243 between Highway 74 and Interstate 10 should be prepared for brief delays going both ways.
“There will be intermittent flagging on the road. People just need to drive safe for us and themselves,” Kasinga said.
One of the largest rocks taken away so far had tumbled onto the 243 roughly two miles south of Banning during a downpour on Jan. 20. Both sides of the highway were closed for several hours until crews hauled it clear of lanes.
“Things get loose whenever there is rain or snow, or sharp changes in temperature,” Kasinga told CNS. “There is always the potential for rock falls, so we would ask that drivers be vigilant.”
The rock-splitting operations involve the use of hydraulic hammers to break the boulders into pieces, which are then transported to a safe location and dumped, according to Kasinga.
