Highway 166 between Santa Maria and State Route 33 reopened at noon on Wednesday, Caltrans announced, after being closed since August 1. The Gifford Fire sparked to life that Friday near the Gifford Trailhead along the 166, blazing to more than 125,000 acres as of Wednesday, and damaging the roadway and guardrails on the highway. The trip could be a slow one for the immediate future.
Delays of up to an hour could occur as a 2.2-mile stretch will be one-way, with a pilot vehicle leading travelers through the area, as only the eastbound lane is available from six miles east of Tepusquet Road to Rock Front Ranch.
The ongoing work includes rock-scaling the slopes denuded of vegetation by the fire. Caltrans currently has no estimated time for when this work will conclude.
Nearly 700 feet of damaged guardrail has been replaced, culverts repaired, shoulders graded, signs replaced, and striping redrawn along 20 miles of burn scar. Construction is expected to continue for several weeks.
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