This article has been updated. In spite of water remaining on the roadway, the cutoff has been reopened.
NICE, Calif. – Lake County’s Water Resources and Public Works departments are in the midst of a pumping project meant to improve conditions so the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff can be reopened in the weeks ahead.
The road has been closed since Feb. 22, when a nearby state-maintained levee was overtopped due to the flooding taking place at that time, as Lake County News has reported.
The overtopping of the levee led to water filling up the water basin to the north of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, a portion of which also has remained under water, officials said.
Rather than wait weeks or months for the water to naturally drain off or evaporate, Lake County Public Works and Water Resources, which had been discussing options with the California Department of Water Resources, began a project on March 11 to pump the water out.
County Public Works Director Scott De Leon said the pumping is taking place around the clock, but there’s still water on the road.
“We can't open it until it's completely dry,” De Leon said Friday.
Water Resources Director Phil Moy said the water level is dropping about an inch per day. “We need to dry the road bed, not just the surface.”
He said people also need to stay off the road to prevent road damage.
There have been ongoing problems with people simply ignoring the signs and driving through the closure. The California Highway Patrol said its officers will ticket individuals they find driving through the closure.
As for when they estimate the road could reopen, De Leon on Friday, said, “Hopefully in the next few days.”
Moy, however, was more cautious, estimating, “Another week plus.”
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