Traffic Advisory for the Week of 7/3/2023 – 7/7/2023

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 3 – July 7.

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

·        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 have finished laying Rubberized Hot-Mix Asphalt and have begun shoulder backing. Work is scheduled Thursday and 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. Highway 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.

·        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

There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Fourth of July Parade – The Independence Day Parade in the town of Independence will close U.S. Highway 395 to traffic between Citrus Street and just north of the Independence airport from 9:00 am to noon on Tuesday. Detours will be available.

Mono County

·        Mammoth Lakes Emergency Work – On State Route 203 between Minaret Road and Old Mammoth 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. One lane will be closed in each direction. Drivers may experience minimal delays.

·        Mammoth Lakes Independence Day Parade – The Independence Day parade in the town of Mammoth Lakes will close State Route 203 from the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center to Minaret Road from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Detours will be available.

·        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 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 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.

·        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.

·        Mono Lake Traffic Sign Installation – On U.S. Highway 395 between Picnic Grounds Road and Tioga Lodge just south of the town of Lee Vining, crews will install new traffic signs on Wednesday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Virginia Creek-Benton Chipseal Project – On two state highways in Mono County, crews will apply an asphalt rubber binder aggregate chipseal to the existing pavement:

o  On U.S. Highway 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. Highway 6 in Benton

Work is scheduled on Thursday from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm and Friday from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car during work hours and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Bridgeport Independence Day Parade – The Independence Day parade will close the following state highways:

o  On U.S. Highway 395 from State Route 182 to Emigrant Street

o  On State Route 182 from U.S. Highway 395 to Court Street

Both roads will close to traffic between 10:00 am to noon on Tuesday. Detours will be available.

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 one mile west of Trona Road near the city of Ridgecrest, there will be utility work on Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

·        Badwater 135 Ultramarathon – The Badwater 135 Ultramarathon will begin on Tuesday in Inyo County. Runners in this event will start at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park and will end at the Mt. Whitney Portal. The following state highways will be affected Tuesday through Thursday, 24 hours a day:

o  State Route 190 from just east of Furnace Creek to the junction of State Route 136.

o  U.S. Highway 395 from the junction of State Route 136 to Whitney Portal Road.

There are no lane or highway closures planned for this event. Drivers who encounter runners on the side of the road are asked to slow down, give them space, and wait for an opportunity to safely pass them.

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, maintenance work has been paused 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

Work is anticipated to resume on Wednesday, July 12.

·        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. Highway 395 from just north of the Coso Junction Safety Roadside Rest Area to Haiwee Powerhouse Road, crews will widen the shoulders Thursday and Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The outside lane will be closed during construction.

·        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, July 10 with the northbound and southbound inside lanes closed during construction.

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!

Follow us for the latest information on Facebook (Caltrans District 9), Twitter (@Caltrans9), and Instagram (@Caltransd9), or email us at [email protected]. To assist in planning your commute, view live traffic conditions using QuickMap at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.