Angeles Crest Highway damage limits access

Caltrans is keeping a storm-damaged stretch of Angeles Crest Highway closed, limiting one of the main road routes into the San Gabriel Mountains ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. The agency says the closure on State Route 2 runs from 3.3 miles east of Newcomb’s Ranch to Big Pines Highway, cutting off nearly 30 miles of the scenic corridor in the Angeles National Forest. The closure affects drivers heading to high-country trailheads, camp access points and Pacific Crest Trail-adjacent areas that normally depend on the highway. Caltrans said there is no reopening timeline yet. ### Where is the highway closed right now? Caltrans’ highway conditions page, updated late on May 21, said SR-2 is closed from 3.3 miles east of Newcomb’s Ranch to Islip Saddle and separately from Islip Saddle to Big Pines because of emergency repairs. Taken together, those notices cover the same broad closure Caltrans lists on its project page: from east of Newcomb’s Ranch to Big Pines Highway. The Angeles Crest Highway is the mountain section of State Route 2 that crosses the Angeles National Forest. (dot.ca.gov) The Los Angeles Times described it this week as a 66-mile scenic route used by hikers and drivers to reach the San Gabriel Mountains. ### What damaged the road? Caltrans said “recent unprecedented rainfall” damaged multiple parts of the corridor. The agency listed washouts, rockfalls, landslides, debris flows and roadway erosion among the problems crews are addressing. (roads.dot.ca.gov) Caltrans said it is running three emergency repair projects along the route. The work includes installing K-rail barriers around washed-out shoulders, setting temporary traffic signals where one-way traffic control is needed, repairing eroded slopes and embankments, rebuilding shoulders, and adding erosion-control measures. (latimes.com) ### How extensive is the damage? Caltrans said crews have identified about 40 locations that need repair, and warned that number could grow as inspections continue. (dot.ca.gov) Some areas remain temporarily inaccessible because of washouts, the agency said, and additional surveys are still underway in parts of the corridor. A February report from ABC7, citing Caltrans District 7, said the three emergency projects totaled $16.8 million. (dot.ca.gov) Caltrans’ current project page does not list an updated total cost, but it does say assessments and repair planning are ongoing. ### What does this mean for hikers and trail access? Islip Saddle is one of the better-known access points along this part of SR-2, and the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the highway there. (dot.ca.gov) The Pacific Crest Trail Association describes Islip Saddle as a gateway to Mount Williamson, Mount Islip and Pleasant View Ridge. The U.S. Forest Service says the 6,000-foot PCT Trailhead remains open year-round and has a large paved parking lot, but that does not override highway closures on the approach roads. (abc7.com) In practice, access depends on which side of the SR-2 closure a trailhead sits and whether drivers can legally reach it from an open segment. ### Is there a reopening date? Caltrans said on its SR-2 winter storm repairs page that there is “no anticipated timeline” for completing assessments or reopening the closed section. (explore.pcta.org) The agency said conditions remain variable and that repairs are aimed at restoring safe travel “as quickly and safely as possible.” As of late May 21, Caltrans was still directing motorists to use alternate routes, and the Angeles National Forest continued to advise visitors to check alerts, closures and road conditions before traveling. (fs.usda.gov) (roads.dot.ca.gov) (dot.ca.gov)