Highway Closure Near Big Bear Halts Tourists

RUNNING SPRINGS (CBSLA.com) — The closure of Highway 18, just 16 miles away from Big Bear City, halted tourists who were hoping to catch some fresh snow.

KCAL9's Crystal Cruz reports that a group from Laguna Beach piled into their SUV for a quick trip.

"I'm just stuck here. I need some help, but no one is here," a man said. "They just closed the road before I came here."

Drivers were forced to head back down to Running Springs.

"They're saying that they've spent hours in the vehicle, so they're kind of stressed and angry," Big Bear resident Cayla Walker said.

Down the hill, bathroom lines were long and a gas station parking lot was filled with people coordinating a plan B.

"We are going to go back to the 10 and then the 38, so we are going to go around the mountain," Gilbert Guerero said.

The California Highway Patrol reports that Highway 38 should be open throughout the night.