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4,000-Ton Rockslide Closes El Portal Road Into Yosemite National Park Through Weekend

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Published Date

June 15, 2017

150 feet of El Portal Road in Yosemite National Park is buried under debris from a rockslide/NPS

For the second time this year, forces of nature and gravity have blocked one of the primary access routes to Yosemite National Park, with El Portal Road (Highway 140) closed at least through this weekend after a rockslide covered 150 feet of the road under up to 20 feet of debris.

Roughly 4,000 tons of rock slid from the "Parkline Slab" cliff, about one mile east of the park boundary, around noon Monday. After an assessment is complete, crews will remove rock debris and repair the road to make it safe for visitors. There is no estimate for when the road and Arch Rock Entrance will reopen.

No injuries or damage to traveling vehicles was reported, the park said in a release.

The rockslide originated from midway up the cliff, approximately 400 feet above the base of the cliff and 600 feet above El Portal Road. A massive slab of rock (estimated to be 50 x 80 x 15 feet) slid down the cliff, hit a ledge, and broke into many pieces; these pieces fragmented further on hitting the base of the cliff, fanning out over an area more than 1,000 feet wide. The bulk of the debris slid and rolled down the slope at the base of the cliff, piling up on El Portal Road, and continuing down into the Merced River.

Of the total volume of material that fell, roughly one-third landed on El Portal Road, covering an area about 150 feet long under 15-20 feet of rock debris. The largest boulder on the road is about 130 tons, and there are several other boulders that are not much smaller. Boulders and smaller "flyrock" fragments covered a section of road nearly 1,000 feet long. The road sustained damage to the paved surface and the retaining wall.

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System buses will run on a modified schedule. To see the schedule, visit www.yarts.com.

Earlier this year, Big Oak Flat Road was closed for two months after 200 feet of roadway slid due to heavily saturated soils from severe winter storms. That road reopened April 30.

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