Grapevine Closure detours I-5 traffic to Highway 101
–Yesterday afternoon, southbound traffic on 101 moved at a crawl under the 13th Street bridge in Paso Robles and crowded the freeway from San Miguel all the way south to Nipomo.
Southbound 101 is crowded with cars and trucks because Interstate 5 is closed at the Grapevine. Heavy snow fell on Christmas evening which caused multiple accidents and flooding, so Interstate Five was closed between Parker Road in Castaic to Grapevine Road in Kern County.
After a series of car crashes, including a three-vehicle collision, Highway 166 closed between I-5 at Maricopa and 101 just north of Santa Maria. It reopens Friday morning. So, the only ways to travel east and west Thursday were Highways 46, 41 and 58. North and south, all the truck and vehicle traffic is traveling 101 through San Luis Obispo County.
No word yet from Cal Trans when I-5 will reopen at the Grapevine. At 4 a.m. Friday morning, the CHP estimated it would reopen around 6 a.m.
The CHP is warning people to expect very heavy traffic with the 101 detour.