Runoff from rain and melting snow causing road washouts in mountain areas

FRESNO COUNTY (KFSN) -- The washout on Dinkey Creek Road was caused when rushing water overwhelmed a culvert under the road, causing the collapse and breakup.

Randy Ishii, Fresno County Public Works Road Maintenance Manager, said crews spent the day patching the break.

"My people scrambled to make phone calls to the rock quarries to get loads of rock up to there to temporarily repair the pipe and the roadway to make it stable."

The road collapse stalled a line of gravel trucks coming back from working on another washout a few miles further on McKinley Grove road. That washout took out an entire section of the private road which provides access to PG&E facilities.

Just some of the many problems road crews are dealing with.

"We are having other rockslide issues, some trees down, there is a private road in the Auberry area that has washed out," said Ishii.

The Auberry road that washed out is Sugarloaf Road. The washout cut access to about 15 homes.

Temporary repairs on the Dinkey Creek washout have been made, but access is restricted.

"However, we are still going to keep the road closed out of the abundance of caution to allow for local traffic and emergency traffic to the area," said Ishii.

Road washouts are not just in the Sierra; Fresno County road crews are also repairing a washout on Los Gatos Creek Road in the Diablo Mountains west of Interstate 5.