A 40-foot oak tree is blocking parts of both lanes on Hecker
Pass Highway after it fell just east of Sprig Lake Road about 3:50
p.m. today, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 40-foot oak tree is blocking parts of both lanes on Hecker Pass Highway after it fell just east of Sprig Lake Road about 3:50 p.m. today, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Officer Jaime Rios said he did not know how long it will take to remove it.
“It could be a few minutes or it could be a few hours,” he said.
A sheriff’s deputy was at the scene as of 4:30 p.m., and Rios said both the CHP and the California Department of Transportation were enroute at that time. Caltrans staff will need to remove the tree. In the meantime, there is enough space on the road for small vehicles get by, Rios said. CHP will direct traffic once they arrive, Rios said.
There are only so many ways to get from Gilroy to points west, Rios said, although he said people could take Highway 129 in Watsonville to avoid the mess.
Rios said the fallen oak was just one of several trees that have caused problems on roadways this past week.
“Due to the rain and weather we’ve been having lately, we’ve had a lot of trees down everywhere,” he said.
