Crews back to work on Highway 17

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On Tuesday, crews got the green light to pick things back up after talking to Cal-Osha.

“We know the public is eagerly waiting the reopening of the northbound lanes, but that is not something we are going to do until the work is complete,” said Caltrans spokesperson Jim Shivers.

On Wednesday, the highway consisted of one lane north and one south, making traffic painfully slow for those who use Highway 17 to get between Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley. Some drivers even reported commute times lasting up to four hours and it could get worse since more rain is on the way.

“It’s a mess,” said Scotts Valley resident Osanna Bertsch. “I don’t think we’ve seen this kind of rain after a drought since the 80s; it’s out of control.” Caltrans workers are using this break in the rain to remove trees at the top of the slope and build a berm, which is intended to catch material that tumbles down the hill.

“We do have the spider excavator out there. It is pushing much of the loose material down to the bottom,” Shivers added.

It’s still unknown when the cleanup will be complete and that comes as more bad news for drivers such as Katherine Van Diepen, who is disappointed, to say the least.

“I am frustrated with the infrastructure of California,” Van Diepen said. “The amount of taxes we pay, in property taxes, and the money isn’t being put into the infrastructure.”