SKYWAY EMERGENCY: Critical Evacuation Route Reduced to One Lane
The Skyway, the primary northern evacuation route for Paradise, Magalia, and
Stirling City, has been reduced to a single
lane since severe storm damage in
the winter of 2022-2023. During the catastrophic 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, this
crucial roadway facilitated the evacuation of 10,000 residents through Butte
Meadows.
The damaged section measures 185 feet long and at its narrowest point is only
11.5 feet wide, creating a severe bottleneck for evacuation traffic and
emergency vehicles. Despite the urgent safety implications, repair funding
remains in limbo. FEMA funding was approved following a federal disaster
declaration by the President, but is currently on hold with no projected
timeline for release. Butte County Public Works confirms that the estimated $1
million repair project cannot proceed without this assistance. The county lacks
sufficient resources to address this critical infrastructure failure
independently.
Recent Impact
During the Park fire of last summer (2024), many from Forest Ranch needed this
route to evacuate to the valley since Highway 32 had been closed to traffic. At
the same time, emergency vehicles responding to the fire were proceeding in the
opposite direction, causing a significant hazard.
One CalFire Captain expressed concern, stating: “I’m uncomfortable driving my
engine through there and hope it doesn’t give out with the weight of the
engine.”
This website documents this pressing public safety concern and supports
community volunteers working to resolve this dangerous situation before the
next emergency strikes.
Photography courtesy of John Hawkins, Stirling City resident.
Web Site Design courtesy of Lance Orner, Stirling City resident.
Terry Edwards, Butte County Department of Public Works Assistant Director, did update us via email (July 29, 2025) with the current project status.
We are actively working through the FEMA Public Assistance Program approval
process and are concurrently evaluating design alternatives to address the
roadway failure. While final approval has not yet been received, we remain
fully engaged in meeting FEMA’s requirements and advancing the project toward
construction readiness.
We understand the importance of this route to the community, particularly in
terms of emergency preparedness. While FEMA’s process does not include public
advocacy as a factor, continued community interest and awareness help reinforce
the critical nature of the project.
We appreciate your outreach and will continue to provide updates as the project
moves forward. Please feel free to reach out with any further questions.
Terry Edwards
Butte County Department of Public Works
Assistant Director, Public Works - Engineering
Our last response from Butte County Public Works on April 7, 2025 (edited for clarity):
You’re correct that I recently spoke with Teri Dubose from Congressman LaMalfa’s office regarding the status of the FEMA grant for the Skyway road failure. I can confirm that the grant has not been cancelled. Rather, it is progressing slowly through FEMA’s review and funding obligation process, which, unfortunately, remains outside of the County’s direct control.
That said, we are actively preparing on our end so that we’re ready to move forward as soon as funding is approved. Our engineering team is currently performing geotechnical work at the site, including soil boring operations to evaluate subsurface conditions. This work is critical to establishing the foundation design criteria that will support a permanent repair solution.
In parallel, we’ve completed the required environmental documentation and have submitted all materials to Cal OES and FEMA. We remain in close contact with both agencies and continue to advocate for expedited review, especially given the importance of this route as the only northern evacuation corridor for Paradise Ridge heading into fire season.
Terry Edwards
Butte County Department of Public Works
Assistant Director, Public Works - Engineering
Thank you, Mr. Edwards. We’re looking for assistance to make sure this continues to be pushed forward.
