Mountain Passes

Caltrans District 10 manages three passes in the Central Sierra that are closed during winter and re-opened in the spring. These passes are:  Ebbetts Pass (State Route 4) in Alpine County, Sonora Pass (State Route 108) in Tuolumne County, and Monitor Pass (State Route 89) in Alpine County.

Caltrans District 10 ensures the timely seasonal closing and opening of these three passes by considering public and worker safety, public and economic interests, weather conditions, and existing snow levels as factors in determining the actual closing and opening dates from year to year. 

Although the locations for winter closures remain the same from year to year, the effort and time necessary for pass opening can vary greatly. The major factors that affect our efforts are the amount of accumulated snow, the frequency and duration of late season spring storms, springtime temperatures and winter damage to the roadway.

Crews typically begin removing snow from the roadway on the first Monday of April each year, and work seven days per week until each pass is free of snow and all roadway hazards before declaring them officially open for the spring and summer months.

 

Ebbetts Pass (State Route 4) in Alpine County

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 10 moved the closure on the east side of State Route 4/Ebbetts Pass from Gate #5 at the State Route 89/4 junction to Gate #4 at Willow Creek at approximately 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

This allows the public to access the East Fork of the Carson River for fishing, disbursed camping, and the campground at Centerville Flats.

State Route 4 remains closed for the winter east of Lake Alpine to Willow Creek. There is no estimated time when the route will be fully reopened.

Crews will continue to work every day as safely and swiftly as possible to fully reopen this important route. We thank our crews and partnering agencies for their hard work under very difficult circumstances.

Ebbetts Pass snow removal video: https://youtu.be/ydzaLdfKekA

 

Monitor Pass (State Route 89) in Alpine County

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reopened State Route 89 between Route 4 and U.S. 395 (Monitor Pass) at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 12, 2023.

Crews removed snow, ice, and debris; cleared drains; and repaired a section of Route 89 south of Markleeville that was heavily damaged by winter storms.

Caltrans crews responsible for the road reopening extend their best wishes for safe travel to those who enjoy the recreational opportunities this region of California has to offer.

Caltrans’ top goal is safety for the traveling public and our workers. Even though Monitor Pass is open, motorists still should be prepared for emergencies as the weather and road conditions can change rapidly.

 

Sonora Pass (State Route 108) in Tuolumne County

Sonora Pass remain closed for the winter. Crews are working 10-12 hours each day as safely and expeditiously as possible to reopen these important Sierra routes.

Sonora Pass snow removal video: https://youtu.be/qd0nzDTx0II