Scheduled on State Routes (SR) 4 and 89 in Alpine County
ALPINE COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will temporarily close portions of SR-4 and SR-89 to all traffic, except for emergency, law enforcement and support vehicles, for the 2022 Tour of the California Alps – Death Ride. State highways will be impacted as follows on Saturday, July 16, 2022:
- SR-89/Monitor Pass will be closed from the SR-89/4 junction south of Markleville to the SR-395/89 junction south of Lake Topaz from 5:00 a.m. to noon.
- Intermittent traffic delays may occur from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on SR-89 between Turtle Rock Park Road and Airport Road.
- SR-4/Ebbetts Pass will be closed from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. between Monitor Junction and Lake Alpine.
SR-4 at Silver Creek Bridge (ALP-4 post mile 26.15) and SR-89 at Markleeville Creek Bridge (ALP-89 post mile 14.69) will be down to one lane about 150 feet on both sides of each bridge. There also will be a lane closure on SR-89 approximately .2 miles north of Markleeville at post mile 15.2. Cyclists will be able to ride through these areas. Crews will not be present and work will not be conducted the day of the event.
The start/finish will be at Turtle Rock Park. Organizers with the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce expect 2,000 riders for the 41st rendition of the ride, which was postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19 and in 2021 due to the Tamarack Fire.
“This year’s Death Ride is really about our community’s resilience and rebuilding,” Alpine County Chamber of Commerce Director Becky DeForest said. “The event has a long history in Alpine County. We want to show our loyal riders that we are still standing, still welcoming them with open arms, and invite new riders to experience the challenge.”
Participants will have the option to ride up to six passes on SR-89 and SR-4, scaling Monitor Pass twice, Ebbetts Pass twice, and the Pacific Grade twice, traversing a total of 103 miles, including more than 14,000 feet of vertical climbing.
For the safety of the participants, take alternate routes whenever possible. For more information, visit deathride.com.
For the latest road conditions, visit quickmap.dot.ca.gov
