PARTS OF HWY 76 REMAINS CLOSED—MAY BE LONGTERM

Here's an update from Sheriff's Lt. Sean Gerrity:

As of this morning at 5:30 AM Highway 76 is closed between Valley Center Road and the Lake Henshaw Resort to through traffic. However, Palomar Mountain residents and La Jolla Indian Reservation residents can access the areas, off of Highway 76, from the Lake Henshaw Resort closure through to Red Gate road, via Highway 79 ONLY (Note: Nate Harrison Grade Road is currently presumed unsafe and impassible, especially in the burn areas).

The area of Highway 76 between Red Gate Road and Valley Center road was completely flooded with and deeply buried in mud, boulders, trees and other debris from a very large mud slide and flash flood that originated from Portrero Creek where it meets with Highway 76. This area is completely impassible, even with 4-wheel drive vehicles, for up to a mile from Portrero Creek westward. The intersection where Portrero Creek normally runs, via a culvert, deep beneath Highway 76 may also have been dangerously weakened by a large, heavy mudslide, with the potential that this portion of Highway 76 may possibly be in danger of breaking away (this portion of the roadway is built up like a deep "land bridge" above the creek, which normally flows through the culvert "piping" buried about forty to sixty feet beneath the highway surface).

Hopefully CalTrans and its contractors will be able to clear the debris by the end of the day and determine the Portrero Creek culvert location is safe for travel. In the interim, the only access to the west from Palomar Mountain and the La Jolla Reservation is via Highway 76 to Highway 79, either through Ramona or Riverside. To my knowledge, South Grade and East Grade roads are passable, but please be cautious for fallen rocks and other debris, especially around blind curves, while traversing ALL roads in the area.


Sean Gerrity, Lieutenant
San Diego Sheriff's Department
Valley Center/Pauma Sheriff's Substation