Big Oak Flat SR-120: Vassar Street–Memorial Drive Utility Work and One-Way Traffic Through Friday

BIG OAK FLAT / GROVELAND, TUOLUMNE COUNTY — October 22, 2026. Travelers approaching Yosemite on State Route 120 should watch for a scheduled one-way traffic-control zone in the Big Oak Flat area through Friday, October 23. The California Department of Transportation’s October 19 district advisory lists utility work between Vassar Street and Memorial Drive, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day through Friday.

This is a local roadwork notice, not a claim that the full highway, the town of Groveland, or Yosemite’s western approaches are closed. It is also separate from the snow-related closure at Tioga Pass that was listed later this week. Drivers planning to travel from the western foothills all the way to the eastern Sierra need to check both situations independently.

Why these street names matter

Vassar Street connects with Highway 120 in the Big Oak Flat area, close to Groveland. The agency defines its scheduled work zone by road junctions rather than by community names. That helps drivers identify the relevant stretch without assuming a larger closure. One-way traffic control generally means traffic is alternated through a work area while crews operate, not that the full route is closed around the clock.

Dates, hours and expected delays

Road: State Route 120, Tuolumne County.
Segment: between Vassar Street and Memorial Drive.
Work: utility work with one-way traffic control.
Scheduled period: October 19–23, 2026.
Daily work window: 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
Caltrans planning estimate: approximately five to ten minutes of delay around the work zone.

Caltrans warns that schedules can change because of weather, incidents, supplies or construction conditions. The listed work hours do not prove that flaggers are operating at the location at the moment a reader sees this article.

Do not confuse this with the Tioga Pass closure

On October 22, Caltrans’s separate highway-conditions service listed the SR-120 Tioga Pass corridor closed due to snow between Crane Flat and an area west of U.S. Highway 395. This mountain restriction does not describe the Vassar Street–Memorial Drive utility work. A traveler who needs to reach Yosemite Valley or cross the mountains should consult both highway conditions and park road updates; the appropriate route depends on the destination and the current status of each segment.

For live conditions, consult Caltrans QuickMap, Caltrans Highway Information for Route 120 and Yosemite National Park’s road conditions. Check immediately before departure, particularly after changing mountain weather.

Primary documentation

Caltrans District 10: Traffic Advisory, Tuolumne County, October 19, 2026. This report independently identifies the published work window and locations; California58 is not reporting an eyewitness visit to the site.

Readers in Big Oak Flat and Groveland can send verified changes or public notices to the Groveland News newsroom. Never photograph or message the newsroom while driving.

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