Traffic Advisory for the Week of 6/19/2023 – 6/23/2023

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 June 19 – June 23.

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

·        Emergency Kern Slab Replacement – Construction is nearing completion on the emergency slab replacement and digouts project on State Route 58 in and near the city of Tehachapi. Crews are expected to shift to striping the highway next week, at which point the current lane closures will be replaced by a moving lane closure to accommodate the striping equipment. Until then, the outside eastbound and westbound lanes in each direction will be closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where construction is happening. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, and overnight from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am.

·        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 continue to lay Rubberized Hot-Mix Asphalt. Work is scheduled for 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 – Beginning Tuesday, June 20, the traffic alignment on the existing U.S. 395 north of Cartago will shift between Willow Dip and Ash Creek Bridge. Traffic speeds will be 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 minimal delays.

Mono County

·        State Route 158 Emergency Work – On State Route 158 S (South June Lake Loop) between Powerhouse Road and U.S. Highway 395, crews will repair winter storm damage by grinding out potholes and repaving with asphalt. Work is scheduled for 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.

·        Deadman Summit Emergency Work – On U.S. Highway 395 from Bald Mountain Road to June Lake Junction, crews will repair winter storm damage by grinding out potholes and repaving with asphalt. The northbound and southbound outside lanes will be closed during construction. Work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

·        Bridgeport Emergency Work – On U.S. Highway 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 for 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. Highway 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.

·        Conway Ranch Shoulders Project – On U.S. Highway 395 between State Route 167 and just north of Conway Ranch Road near Mono City, crews will be widening the shoulders, lengthening chain-up areas, installing lighting, and rehabilitating drainage infrastructure. Work is scheduled for 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.

·        Cemetery CAPM – On U.S. Highway 395 between Cemetery Road and State Route 167 near Mono City, crews will be rehabilitating the pavement 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.

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 two miles west of Trona Road near the city of Ridgecrest, there will be utility work on Friday 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 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

·        Kern Bridge Maintenance Project – On State Route 58 near the city of Tehachapi and the town of Mojave, there will be maintenance work on the following bridges:

o  The Sand Canyon Road undercrossing at Exit 156

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

There will also be maintenance work on the drain just west of Exit 149 in the city of Tehachapi. Work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, and overnight from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am.

·        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 through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

·        Ridgecrest Pole Replacement – On the westbound shoulder of State Route 178 E at the intersection with Norma Street, utility crews will replace a pole on Monday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Inyo County

·        Inyo County Bridge Maintenance Work – On U.S. Highway 395, crews are performing maintenance work on the following bridges:

o  The bridge over Five Mile Canyon, just south of Little Lake.

o  Cottonwood Creek Bridge, approximately 6.5 miles north of Cartago.

Work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, and overnight from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am.

·        State Route 127 Pavement Project – On State Route 127 in eastern Inyo County, crews will stripe the roadway 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

No work is scheduled this week. Striping work will resume on Monday, June 26. Both lanes will be open with no traffic control.

·        Olancha Shoulder Closures – On U.S. Highway 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. Highway 395 (Main Street), work on the median at Church Street will resume on Monday, June 19. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. The northbound and southbound inside lanes will be closed during construction.

Mono County

·        Benton Utility Work – On U.S. Highway 6 just south of Benton, there will be utility work on the southbound shoulder on Monday from 8:00 am to noon.

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 and $7,413,500 Cemetery CAPM 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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