Bridge being built around rock slide at Yosemite park

SAN FRANCISCO -- A bridge will be built around a rock slide that closed a main route to Yosemite National Park and disrupted business and life in the area, state transportation officials announced.

The company chosen for the project, Teichert Construction, has started moving equipment and bridge parts to California Route 140, which has been blocked since April 29 by 3 million cubic yards of rock and debris.

Officials are obtaining permits to build on national forest land and hope the project will be completed within about two months.

Two other primary routes into the park -- State Routes 41 from the south and 120 from the north -- are still open.

Because the mountain above the Merced River's narrow and winding canyon is still crumbling, it's unclear when 140 could be cleared, allowing traffic to resume. But the bridge, expected to remain in place for two to three years, should bring great relief to local residents.