EL PORTAL — State transportation officials are considering tunneling through the wall of the Merced River canyon as a possible solution to get around a rockslide outside the entrance of Yosemite National Park.

The rockslide on Highway 140 has hindered traffic and local business for nearly a year. Two temporary bridges were built around the massive rockslide 12 miles west of Yosemite last year, but Mariposa County and state officials are pressuring the Transportation Department to begin restoration.

“That all-weather highway provides the life blood to Mariposa,” said state Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto.

The proposed fixes include building permanent bridges across the Merced River, tunneling through the rockslide and clearing the rubble from Highway 140.

The idea to build a road on piers along the canyon wall was previously scrapped because of impact on the Merced River, which is federally protected as wild and scenic. But the idea was put back on the list a month ago after engineers revised the designs, CalTrans spokesman Troy Bowers said.

Engineers plan to make a decision on the estimated $75 million project next year.

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Information from: Merced Sun-Star, http://www.mercedsun-star.com