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Caltrans outlines $300 million, five-year plan for Ferguson rock-shed to restore SR‑140
Summary
Caltrans project manager Corey Casey told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors that a segmental rock‑shed — the agency's preferred alternative after environmental and geotechnical review — will cost roughly $300 million, require massive material staging and likely take about five years to build once state funding is secured.
Caltrans project manager Corey Casey told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 18 that the agency is moving ahead with a segmentally launched rock shed to restore State Route 140 through the Ferguson slide area of the Merced River Canyon.
Casey said Caltrans abandoned earlier bridge and tunnel options because of environmental restrictions and engineering constraints. "The tunnel would be over 1.2 miles long ... probably over a billion dollars," he said; by comparison, the rock‑shed alternative, while expensive, is the more feasible option. "Our engineers estimate is hovering right around $300,000,000 for the construction," he said.
The proposal calls for heavy anchors and piles bolted into the hillside and precast ‘‘boxes’’ to be assembled and incrementally moved into place. Casey described material needs in large scale: more than 20 million pounds of rebar and roughly 36,000 cubic yards of concrete. Caltrans plans to cast components on site, use portable batch plants where necessary, and stage materials from nearby pullouts and laydown areas to limit traffic interference.
Caltrans is negotiating directly with a contractor and expects to request construction funding from the California Transportation Commission in May; if allocated, the department hopes to award a contract in early summer and begin work that season. Casey said Caltrans will host public open houses in April in El Portal, Midpines and Mariposa to review plans and answer technical questions.
County supervisors pressed Caltrans on schedule certainty and staging logistics. Casey acknowledged risks — active landslide conditions and constrained workspace — but said the program accounts for these with extensive geotechnical study and a construction method designed to keep workers out of the hazard zone whenever possible. "If this was a bridge, it would be over a 2‑mile bridge — it's a massive structure in a small space," he said.
The board did not take formal action but directed staff to share Caltrans' outreach materials and encouraged the district to continue community briefings, citing local economic dependence on a restored route.
Next steps: Caltrans will seek CTC funding in May, continue cost negotiations with its contractor, and provide dates for the planned evening community workshops.
