Traffic Advisory for the Week of 7/10/2023 – 7/14/2023

EASTERN KERN, SAN BERNARDINO, INYO, and MONO COUNTIES – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces the following project work and traffic impacts for the week of July 10 – July 14.

Work schedules are subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues.

Eastern Kern County

·        Canebrake Utility Work – On State Route 178 W between Smith Avenue and Chimney Peak Road, there will be utility work on Friday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Freeman III CAPM – On State Route 14 from 1.1 miles north of Red Rock Canyon Road to 3.3 miles south of the Freeman Gulch bridge, crews are shoulder backing. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control with a flagger and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

Inyo County

·        Olancha-Cartago Project –The traffic alignment on the existing U.S. 395 north of Cartago has shifted between Willow Dip and Ash Creek Bridge. Traffic speeds are reduced to 45 MPH through the alignment shift for driver safety. The new alignment will remain in place for approximately 6 – 8 weeks as the contractor constructs the northbound lane connection to the new highway alignment. Drivers may experience delays.

Mono County

·        Tour of the California Alps Bicycle Race – State Route 89 (Monitor Pass) will be closed to traffic from the Alpine/Mono county line to the junction with U.S. 395 on Saturday, July 15 from 5:00 am to noon for the Tour of the California Alps bicycle race.

·        Mammoth Mountain Paving Work – On State Route 203 from the Village Plaza shopping center to the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, crews will pave the road Monday through Thursday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and on Friday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Bridgeport Emergency Work – On U.S. 395 between Buckeye Road and Twin Lakes Road, crews will repair winter storm damage by grinding out potholes and repaving with asphalt. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Topaz Lake Emergency Work – On U.S. 395 approximately 1.9 miles south of the Nevada State Line, there is one-way traffic control with a traffic signal due to storm damage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

·        Cemetery CAPM – On U.S. Highway 395 between Cemetery Road and State Route 167 near Mono City, crews will begin laying Hot Mix Asphalt Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be single-lane closures and one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Conway Ranch Shoulders Project – On U.S. 395 between State Route 167 and just north of Conway Ranch Road near Mono City, crews are widening the shoulders, lengthening chain-up areas, installing lighting, and rehabilitating drainage infrastructure. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Rattlesnake Utility Work – On U.S. 395 just east of Swauger Creek Road near Sonora Junction, there will be utility work on Thursday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

·        Sonora Junction Utility Work – On State Route 108 between Sonora Bridge Campground and the junction with U.S. 395, there will be utility work on Thursday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 15-minute delays.

·        Virginia Creek-Benton Chipseal Project – The start date on this project has been delayed until Tuesday, August 1. In Mono County, crews will apply an asphalt rubber binder aggregate chipseal to the existing pavement on two highways:

o  On U.S. 395 from State Route 270 (Bodie Road) to State Route 182 in Bridgeport

o  On State Route 120 E from Benton Hot Springs to U.S. 6 in Benton

Once work begins, there will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car during work hours and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

San Bernardino County (District 9 maintains State Route 178 E in San Bernardino County in coordination with District 8)

·        State Route 178 E Utility Work – On State Route 178 E approximately 2.5 miles east of Trona Road near the city of Ridgecrest, there will be utility work Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

Projects on the state highway system with minimal or no delays:

Eastern Kern County

·        Edwards Off-Ramp Warning Sign – On State Route 58 near North Edwards, there will be a portable message board on the shoulder of the westbound Rosamond Boulevard off-ramp warning drivers of private construction away from state Right of Way Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

·        Kern Bridge Maintenance Project – Maintenance work is anticipated to resume on Wednesday, July 12, on the following bridges on State Route 58 near the city of Tehachapi and the town of Mojave:

o  The Sand Canyon Road undercrossing at Exit 156

o  The overhead railroad crossing east of Exit 167 near the town of Mojave

·        E. Ward Utility Work – On State Route 178 E between Drummond Avenue and E. Ward Avenue in the city of Ridgecrest, there will be utility work on the westbound lanes Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Inyo County

·        Haiwee II Shoulder Widening – On the southbound lanes of U.S. 395 from just north of the Coso Junction Safety Roadside Rest Area to Haiwee Powerhouse Road, crews are widening the shoulders Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The outside lane is closed during construction and the speed limit is reduced to 55 MPH.

·        State Route 127 Pavement Project – On State Route 127 in eastern Inyo County, crews are installing new traffic signs in two locations:

o  From 7 miles north of the town of Shoshone to 7 miles south of Death Valley Junction

o  From Death Valley Junction to the Nevada State Line

Work will be limited to the shoulders in both directions.

·        Olancha Shoulder Closures – On U.S. 395 at the junction with State Route 190 in Olancha, there will be intermittent shoulder closures to allow trucks access to deliver material Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

·        Bishop Raised Median Project – On U.S. 395 (Main Street), work on the median at Church Street will resume on Monday, July 10 with the northbound and southbound inside lanes closed during construction.

·        Bishop Sidewalk Work – On U.S. 395 (Main Street) from Short Street to Yaney Street, there will be curb, gutter, and sidewalk work Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Mono County

·        Mammoth Lakes Emergency Work – On State Route 203 between Minaret Road and Old Mammoth Road, crews are repairing winter storm damage by grinding out potholes and repaving with asphalt. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. One lane will be closed in each direction. Drivers may experience minimal delays.

The State Route 127 Pavement Project received funding from both SB 1 and IIJA. Senate Bill 1 allocated $2,201,109, while the California Transportation Commission allocated an additional $20,118,000 in funding from the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021.

The $8,734,000 Freeman III CAPM Project, the $7,413,500 Cemetery CAPM Project, and the $2,244,120 Virginia Creek-Benton Chipseal Project are fully funded by SB 1.

The Conway Ranch Shoulders Project received $8.3 million from IIJA for construction.

SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually split between the state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1. For more information about other transportation projects funded by SB 1, visit http://rebuildingca.ca.gov.

Under IIJA, California will receive an estimated $41.9 billion over 5 years. IIJA provides significant funding to Caltrans to improve roadways, bridges, freight projects, public transportation, and safety, and to address climate change. For more information about IIJA, visit http://rebuildingca.ca.gov/iija-by-the-numbers.

Travelers are asked to be attentive to workers on the highway, slow for the cone zone, and move over whenever possible to give additional clearance. Be Safe and Be Work Zone Alert!

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