Blagen Road remains closed to the public in White Pines where it crosses Big Trees Creek until further notice. The road has been closed since Wednesday January 11 when storms caused Big Trees Creek to flood, which overwhelmed the culvert under Blagen Road. Flood waters washed out much of the soil beneath the road, which undermined the roadway’s structural stability and caused the crossing to be unsafe. The erosion also exposed CCWD’s main water transmission line that serves Arnold, which caused the District to perform an emergency pipeline stabilization project last week and a transmission main tie-in project on Wednesday January 18 to protect the community’s water supply system. Repairing the damaged section of Blagen Road is the responsibility of the Calaveras County Public Works Department.

CCWD’s primary maintenance facility for the greater Arnold area is situated on the other side of the damaged section of roadway. Because this facility is critical to maintaining a safe, reliable water supply for customers, CCWD installed a temporary bridge over the damaged section of Blagen Road on Friday January 13. This bridge continues to provide emergency access to the maintenance facility for CCWD crews, but the temporary bridge is closed to the public for safety reasons. The District has placed multiple signs near the crossing to notify the public of the bridge and road closure. To prevent unauthorized access, concrete K-rail barricades are blocking the damaged section of roadway and a locked chain prevents members of the public from using the temporary bridge. In case of an emergency, keys to access the bridge have been provided to public safety personnel.

The Ebbetts Pass Moose Lodge is also on the other side of the damaged roadway, which has prevented members from using the facility since the flooding occurred. CCWD appreciates the patience shown by Lodge members while the road is closed.

Those with questions or concerns regarding Blagen Road repairs should contact Calaveras County Public Works at (209) 754-6401. For other questions, CCWD Customer Service can be reached at (209) 754-3123 or customerservice@ccwd.org.