Traffic Advisory for the Week of 9/11/2023 – 9/15/2023

EASTERN KERN, INYO, and MONO COUNTIES – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces the following project work and traffic impacts for the week of September 11 – September 15.

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

·      Mojave Bypass Paving Operation – On the eastbound lanes of State Route 58 from just west of Exit 165 to just east of Exit 172, crews are installing new guardrail and striping the roadway. One lane will remain open at all times.

Work is scheduled Monday through Thursday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Friday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. Drivers may experience short delays.

·        Tehachapi Utility Work – On State Route 202 between Sierra Vista Drive and Tucker Road, utility crews will be reframing poles Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

Inyo County

·        Cartago Traffic Switch – On U.S. 395 north of Cartago, northbound traffic will switch to a temporary lane at Willow Dip this week. Southbound traffic will switch shortly after to the new lane using the temporary crossover approximately four miles north of Cartago. Traffic speeds are reduced to 45 MPH through the current alignment for driver safety. Drivers may experience short delays.

·        State Route 190 Closure – Due to extensive damage from Tropical Storm Hilary, State Route 190 is closed from the junction with U.S. Highway 395 in Olancha to the junction with State Route 127 in Death Valley Junction.

Mono County

·        Topaz Lake Emergency Repair Project – On U.S. 395 approximately 1.9 miles south of the Nevada State Line, crews are realigning a 0.5-mile stretch of the road to repair winter storm damage Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. There is one-way traffic control with a pilot car during work hours and a traffic light after work hours. Drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        Sonora Pass Guardrail Replacement – On State Route 108 between the Tuolumne/Mono county line and the winter closure gate near the Marine Corps Mountain Training Center, crews will replace guardrail Wednesday through Friday from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

·        CMS Board Construction – On U.S. 395, crews are installing new Changeable Message Signs in two locations:

o  Approximately 1.5 miles south of the S. Landing Road overcrossing near Crowley.

o  Near Huggans Lane just south of the junction with State Route 182 in Bridgeport.

Work is scheduled Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Friday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control near Bridgeport and drivers may experience 10-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.

·        Cemetery CAPM – On U.S. 395 between Cemetery Road and State Route 167 near Mono City, crews are installing rumble strips and striping the roadway 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.

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

Eastern Kern County

·        Ridgecrest Sewer Replacement – On State Route 178 E between French Avenue and Gemstone Street, crews will replace a sewer line Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. One lane in the eastbound direction will intermittently close. Drivers could experience brief delays.

·        Mojave Underground Utility Work – On the northbound lanes of State Route 14 from 0.5 miles north of State Route 58 to Arroyo Avenue, utility crews will install underground conduit Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

·        Backus Road Utility Work – On State Route 14 between the towns of Mojave and Rosamond, there will be utility work on the northbound and southbound off-ramps at Backus Road Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm.

·        Rosamond Xeriscape Project – On State Route 14 at the Rosamond Boulevard overcrossing, crews are placing rock mulch and xeriscape landscaping. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Inyo County

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

·        Bartlett Thin Blanket – On U.S. 395 between Carroll Creek Road and Diaz Lake Recreation Area just south of the town of Lone Pine, lanes in both directions will intermittently close while crews install rumble strips and stripe the roadway. Work is scheduled Tuesday through Thursday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Friday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Mono County

·        2023 Mammoth Gran Fondo – The 2023 Mammoth Gran Fondo bicycle race will take place on Saturday, September 9 from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, beginning and ending at The Village in the town of Mammoth Lakes. The following three highways in Mono County will be affected:

o  State Route 203 from The Village to the junction with U.S. Highway 395.

o  U.S. Highway 395 from Benton Crossing Road to the junction with State Route 120 E.

§ The northbound off-ramp at the junction with State Route 203 will be temporarily closed.

o  State Route 120 E will be closed from the junction with U.S. Highway 395 to Benton Crossing Road from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The CHP will perform rolling traffic breaks along State Route 203 and U.S. Highway 395 as cyclists progress through the route. There will be no altered speed limits during the event, but temporary message boards will be in place to advise drivers of the race.

·        Tioga Pass Run – The 2023 Tioga Pass Run will begin in the town of Lee Vining on Sunday, September 10, and affect two Mono County highways from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm:

o  U.S. Highway 395 from Utility Road to the junction with State Route 120 W.

o  State Route 120 W from the junction with U.S. Highway 395 to the eastern gate of Yosemite National Park.

Runners will be on the shoulders of the route. There will be no lane closures or altered speed limits for drivers. Temporary message boards will be in place to advise drivers of the foot race.

·        Virginia Creek-Benton Chipseal Project – Construction crews are striping the pavement on two highways:

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

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

Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control with a pilot car and drivers may experience 20-minute delays.

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

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

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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