Construction crews work Thursday to clear the massive mudslide on Highway 101 about four miles north of Garberville. Click to enlarge. Caltrans photo

Highway 101 in southern Humboldt County is expected to reopen Monday for 12 hours after a massive mudslide closed the road earlier this week.

The slide occurred Wednesday about four miles north of Garberville and prompted officials to close area schools until the highway can be reopened.

Caltrans spokesman Phil Frisbie Jr. said Friday that crews are working 24 hours a day to clear away enough of dirt and trees and to repair the pavement to allow it to open to one-way traffic control from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. Traffic delays of up to an hour are expected.

The road is expected to reopen again at 6 a.m. Tuesday but how long is unclear. Frisbie said that decision likely won’t be made until Monday and then may be day to day, depending on weather and the slide’s stability.

He said once the highway is open to one-way traffic control Caltrans will focus on getting a lane open 24/7 in each direction.

Caltrans engineers have determined that despite the massive slide, the base of the road is solid, he said. But the pavement and immediate subsurface is severely damaged.

Frisbie said Caltrans has allocated $5 million to fix the road.

He said Caltrans plans to regularly post photos online of the construction. CLICK HERE to see those photos.