OLANCHA-CARTAGO 4-LANE PROJECT UPDATE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

INYO COUNTY — Caltrans is in the final stages of design and right-of-way acquisition for the Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane project. The project will upgrade 12.6 miles of the current two-lane highway to a four-lane access-controlled expressway. The new alignment will begin four miles south of Olancha to four miles north of Cartago and will close the gap between the existing four-lane sections to the north and the south.

This project will increase roadway safety, accommodate present and future traffic demands for goods movement and motorists and bring the highway up to current design standards. The new expressway will feature wider shoulders, a class-III bike route, a non-motorized multi-use undercrossing, and intersection improvements that will benefit pedestrian and bicycle mobility.

Some preconstruction activities beginning soon include utility verification and relocation, vegetation removal and/or relocation, staking the new alignment, installing desert tortoise exclusion fence, and other various preliminary items.

This $83 million-dollar project is jointly funded by Inyo and Mono Counties’ Local Transportation Commissions, Kern Council of Governments, and Caltrans with State Transportation Improvement Program funds. Project completion is tentatively scheduled for late 2023.

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For the most up-to-date information on road closures, chain controls, CHP incidents and more, please visit the Caltrans QuickMap site at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or call the Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).