INYO COUNTY – State Route 190 will remain closed through at least next Wednesday as Caltrans maintenance crews continue to clean up after last week’s flash floods. Approximately 30 miles of the highway were partially or fully buried under flood debris within Death Valley National Park following Friday’s storms. Since beginning work to clear State Route 190, crews have managed to remove debris from approximately 20 miles of the road.

“I am proud of how quickly our crews have responded, clearing roads and creating routes for park visitors to leave safely, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” said Caltrans District 9 Director Ryan Dermody. “As our crews continue to remove debris, they have found several damaged sections of highway with complete shoulder loss, damage to asphalt, and undercutting of the roadway. With work on the highway continuing into next week, our team is coordinating closely with our partners in Death Valley National Park.”

An estimated 60 percent of debris has been removed from the highway so far. That debris will temporarily be stored locally along the highway before it is moved to fill in the shoulders that eroded during the storm. Four graders and six loaders have been deployed with maintenance personnel assistance coming from Mono, Inyo, and Kern counties.

The closure of State Route 190 now extends from Trona Wildrose Road/Panamint Valley Road to State Route 127 in Death Valley Junction. Drivers are urged to stay clear of the highway and respect closure points that allow crews to safely work within the incident area. State Route 178 E from Shoshone to the Lower Badwater Gate in Death Valley National Park will remain closed into next week as well.

For the latest information on road closures on the State Highway System, please visit the Caltrans QuickMap site at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or download the app to your smartphone. You can also call the Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623). Caltrans also posts updates to its social media channels on Twitter (Caltrans9) and Facebook (Caltrans9).

For the latest information on road conditions within Death Valley National Park, visit: https://www.nps.gov/deva/