PARADISE, Calif. – Just a week after the Camp Fire erupted last fall in Butte County, Caltrans launched one of the region’s largest recovery efforts to make the state highways safe for emergency crews and motorists.

Nearly a year later, signs of recovery are clearly evident across the landscape.

New traffic signs, guardrail, fences, culverts and drainage systems are in place.

Crews have shored up bridge footings to prevent scouring and repaved and restriped sections of damaged roadway.

Reseeded burn scar areas are showing signs of new growth. In the picturesque Feather River Canyon area, some 450,000 square feet of wire mesh material now covers steep slopes to prevent rocks from falling onto winding segments of State Route 70.

At the same time, transportation engineers set up new traffic management features, including a temporary roundabout and stoplights, to address increased vehicle traffic from debris haulers and the influx of wildfire victims who relocated to Chico and nearby valley areas.