For those who have been following the news on the work to eventually repair the rock walls at the Palisades on the route toward the west portal of Alpine Tunnel, the following is good news of progress. One of the early steps was to at least provide motorized access via Williams Pass. This bypasses the rock wall damage by using the old route from Hancock where it meets the road bed just above the Palisades.
It requires serious jeep skills and is only open for one month a year, but it is still great to see vehicles reaching the station complex. Below is a video showing a jeep trip over the pass and to the tunnel.
The following is an explanation from Justin Kearns who is doing great work to bring a full restoration of the Palisade rock wall and the road bed:
"The route over Williams is indeed passable for the first time this year in a long, long time. This is because the CORE group out of Buena Vista adopted & restored Williams Pass last summer and removed various rockfalls from the grade above the Palisade wall this summer. Without their help it would not be possible. That having been said, Williams Pass is typically only open for the month of August. The marshy area above treeline melts very late in the season. So it's already closed for this year. If you want to attempt it next summer I suggest targeting a mid-August timeframe."
