Highway 70 in Butte and Plumas counties reopens after mudslide closed 50-mile stretch

A 50-mile stretch of Highway 70 in Butte and Plumas counties reopened Sunday after mud and debris from a nearby mudslide blocked the road for two weeks.

Highway 70 will reopen with one-way traffic control from 3 miles west of Belden to 2 miles west of Belden, Caltrans officials announced on social media.

The highway between Jarbo Gap in Butte County and the Greenville Wye at Highway 89 in Plumas County has been closed since June 12.

The mudslides, which began near a burn scar from last summer’s Dixie Fire, blocked the road and left multiple motorists stranded in the Rock Creek area. The motorists were brought to safety, according to Plumas County Search and Rescue.

Caltrans cautioned on social media that motorists traveling through the area should anticipate 10- to 15-minute delays on the route.

This story was originally published June 27, 2022 at 10:53 AM.