Caltrans completed its first concrete pour and can move forward.
The project is located along Highway 140 to improve access to Yosemite National Park.
The plan of action stems from a 2006 rockslide that sent nearly 800,000 tons of debris onto a portion of Highway 140.
Caltrans installed temporary bridges 20 years ago that rerouted traffic across the river.
The Ferguson Rock Shed will be a permanent roadway protected by a rock shed to shield drivers from future rockfalls.
The uniquely designed infrastructure will be one of only two in California, with the other located along Highway 1 in Big Sur.
The project is expected to be finished by 2030.