Planning a trip along California’s eastern Sierra Nevada? Check your calendar and your routing. A beautiful section of U.S. Highway 395 in California will shut down for more than two weeks in an effort to protect wildlife.
California dubs the stretch of U.S. 395 as the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway, and folks traveling it from the south will find it shut down on September 4 for 15 days. If coming from that direction you will need an alternate route to access the communities of Walker and Colville or to fish and camp at Topaz Lake.
Northbound motorists can take Highway 182 from Bridgeport and connect with lonely Nevada Route 338.
Oh, deer! Highway 395 shutdown to protect them
The reason behind the closure? Biologists with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) say that 69 reported wildlife collisions have occurred since 2002 along the stretch. They believe many more “collisions” have occurred, but neither drivers nor the West Walker mule deer herd are reporting.
To cut down the carnage, crews will install wildlife under-crossings made from “plate pipe.” The 70’ long under-crossings will be up to 11 feet high—tall enough for even tall animals like mule deer.
Detours? From the south, take State Route 182 from Bridgeport and connect with Nevada Route 338. If you’re southbound, coming in from Nevada, connect with Nevada Route 208 at Holbrook Junction and take the 338 south.
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Wow! 69 deer in 22 years.. that’s just over 3 a year. Just drove through there last week and didn’t see any at all. California gas tax dollars at work 🤔 maybe?
That’s probably why regular gasoline was also in the $6.00 range in the area..IMO
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Good to know to plan ahead. 🙂 Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
I wonder what the human death toll from animal collisions is in this area. I am sure the death toll to deer is much higher than accidents from legal hunting.
Thanks for the information.
A map would have been very helpful.
Even for California, this is bizarre. Hopefully there’s more to this but probably not. Would have made more sense just to reduce the speed limit like to 45 during this period, but then making sense is not one of Californias strong points.
This is a stunning drive, not exaggerating! Do it when you can.
California bashers – they hate us because the ain’t us.
I know this stretch very well, and wonder if they’re also going to post signs so the deer will know to use the tunnel rather than simply crossing the road? (Sarcasm)
Wow this looks like a much cheaper & quicker way to install wildlife under/over passes.
Washington state has been doing a program like this on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass area for several years. The crossings are deemed successful but they have miles of fencing too, to keep the animals off the roads.
So the animals have no other alternative than to use the animal crossings and hundreds of critters use them as shown on the live-cams.
I almost nailed a deer in that area but stopped my truck and trailer in time. He/she froze. Be careful and SLOW DOWN!