Storm Slows Holiday Weekend Traffic On Highway 50

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (CBS 13) – Holiday travelers ran into bumper to bumper traffic on Highway 50 on Monday. With continued rain and heavy wind, Caltrans crews braced for possible mudslides and road blocks.

"I can't wait to get home," said Maretta Lee. "I didn't expect it to be a 5-hour, 6-hour drive!"

She and her husband Ivan drove east on Highway 50 on Friday for a weekend in Tahoe. But the journey home to Elk Grove on Monday was much different than they expected.

"Forty miles of bumper to bumper traffic, going about 5 miles an hour," Ivan said. "We knew it was going to be something, but we didn't know how long it would be."

And shortly after braving strong wind to put chains on their tires, the couple felt one set of chains fall off in the middle of the road.

"I said 'Boo, I can hear some grinding on the driver's side but I don't hear nothing on the passenger's side,'" Maretta said.

Traffic began building earlier Monday afternoon after avalanche control closed down Highway 50. Meanwhile, Caltrans crews kept a close eye on the pavement after part of the westbound lane near Bridal Veil Falls eroded on Sunday.

Over in Placerville, Matt Jeffrey faced high waters to kayak on the South Fork American River. But as much he loves the outdoors, the weather put a bit of a damper on his original plans.

"Well I had various other boating plans this weekend but a lot of it fell through because friends up in Truckee couldn't get down, friends Tahoe couldn't get down," he said.

Still, he tried to focus on keeping a good attitude on his day off of work.

"Excellent, great day on the river," he said. "If you've been doing it long enough, it's a whole lot of fun."