The San Bernardino County Department of Public Works today reopened Greenspot Road, which is a major connector for the community of East Highland, Mentone, Redlands, and Yucaipa, as well as Highway 38 for mountain commuters.
During heavy rainstorms on Feb. 14, a portion of Greenspot Road near Florida Street was washed out by heavy storm water flows in Mill Creek and has been closed to traffic since then.
One of the biggest challenges was restoring Mill Creek back to its original flow path in order to prevent future erosion of the roadway. Over 50,000 yards of material needed to be moved in order to protect the roadway. This work was complicated by the series of storms that occurred after Feb. 14. The 2018/2019 storm season has been the wettest since the 2010-2011 storm season, with rain gauges in the county receiving anywhere from 125 percent to 185 percent above the normal seasonal average.
The Department of Public Works Flood Control District and Transportation Department team, along with a contractor, Jeremey Harris Construction, have been working together to restore the creek and repair the road in order to reopen it to the public. The Department of Public Works appreciates the collaborative effort displayed by the City of Redlands and utility agencies that were involved.
County crews will still be working on the roadway in the next couple of weeks to place permanent guard rail and traffic striping. Motorists must be ready to slow down and pay attention to construction traffic signs to ensure everyone’s safety. The cost of the repair work is anticipated to be more than $400,000 once the project is finished.