TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Seasonal Road Closures Announced

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Seasonal Road Closures Announced Near SR-190 Safeguarding Porterville, Springville, Ducor, and California Hot Springs

TULARE COUNTY, December 22, 2025 – The Tulare County Resource Management Agency (RMA) has announced the seasonal closure of several mountain roads in the Porterville and Springville areas due to inclement winter weather and hazardous driving conditions.

Effective as of Monday, December 22, 2025, the following road segments are closed for the winter season:

• Bear Creek Road (M220): From Mile Post 8 to Balch Park Road (M296)
• Balch Park Road (M296): From Mile Post 36 to Bear Creek Road (M220)
• M50: From Mile Post 10.5 to Mountain Road 99
• Ponderosa / Fox Drive (M180B): From Western Divide Highway (M107) to Silver Tip Drive (M179B)
• Western Divide (M107): From Mile Post 2 to Mountain Road 50 (Parker Pass)

"These seasonal closures are a safety precaution, as snow, ice, and low temperatures pose risks to drivers and maintenance crews," says RMA Assistant Director of Public Works Ahmad Alkhayyat. The impacted areas serve recreation destinations within the Sequoia National Forest and communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains, including access routes from Caltrans-maintained State Route 190.

Local emergency response agencies, including the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Tulare County Fire, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, have been notified to support coordination and public safety efforts. Signage has been installed to alert motorists of the seasonal closures. The U.S. Forest Service has also been notified of these closures.

Motorists are advised to obey all posted closure signs and avoid entering barricaded areas. Roads will reopen in the spring, subject to weather conditions and safety evaluations.

For the latest Road Closures information related to County-maintained roads, please visit https://tularecounty.ca.gov/rma/public-works/roads/road-bridge-information-and-closures. To submit a road service request, please visit https://tularecounty.ca.gov/rma or call (559) 624-7000.