Traffic Advisory for the Week of September 22, 2025

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 22 – September 26.

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

New Traffic Impacts

Eastern Kern County

· Howell Street Utility Work – On State Route 178 E from Moyer Avenue to Howell Street in Ridgecrest, the westbound outside lane and shoulder will close while utility crews replace poles Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

· Ridgecrest Utility Work – On State Route 178 E from N. Sierra View Street to Triangle Drive, the westbound outside lane and shoulder will close while utility crews replace poles on Thursday from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

Inyo County

· Meadow Farms ADA Project – Access to Tu Su Lane from U.S. 395 is anticipated to reopen on Friday, September 19, after crews replace drainage infrastructure, and southbound traffic will shift back to the inside southbound lane. The southbound outside lane and shoulder closure will shift from Barlow Lane to Tu Su Lane as crews progress to the next major work area. Sidewalk work is nearly finished on the southbound shoulder between Tu Su Lane and See Vee Lane. Bridge work over Bishop Creek will continue next week. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. One lane in each direction will remain open at all times, and drivers may experience brief delays. Businesses remain accessible during construction.

Mono County

· Sherwin Grade Pavement Markings – On U.S. 395 from the Mono County line to Lower Rock Creek Road, one lane in each direction will close while crews stripe the pavement. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.

· Topaz Lake Utility Work – On U.S. 395 from the Topaz Inspection Station to Topaz Lane near the Nevada state line, utility crews will install fiber optic cable Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

· State Route 158 Utility Work – On State Route 158 from Reverse Creek Lane to Gull Meadows Road, utility crews will cross wire over the highway on Friday from 4:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

· Crowley Utility Work – On U.S. 395 at S. Landing Road near Crowley Lake, the southbound off-ramp will close while utility crews replace poles on Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Detours will be available.

Ongoing Traffic Impacts

Inyo County

· Bishop Pavement Project – On North Sierra Highway, multi-use path lighting-system construction is ongoing from See Vee Lane to Wye Road. Crews continue drainage installation work from the southwest corner of State Route 168 W (W. Line Street) to just south of Lagoon Street. Southbound traffic shifts to one lane beginning at Church Street. The southbound outside lane, sidewalk, and shoulder are closed through construction areas. The speed limit is reduced to 35 mph from See Vee Lane to Wye Road and 25 mph from W. Line Street to just south of Jay Street. Lagoon Street remains inaccessible from U.S. 395, but detours are available. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, and drivers may experience brief delays.

· Fish Springs Pavement Project – Work on the new pedestrian refuge islands and crosswalk beacons at Crocker and Walnut in Big Pine is anticipated to start Monday. There will be short lane closures in town to accommodate the work. South of town, traffic on U.S. 395 remains limited to one lane in each direction on the northbound side of the highway. In the southbound lanes, pavement rehabilitation work continues. The speed limit is 25 mph in Big Pine and 55 mph south of town. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

· Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane Project – On U.S. 395 from south of Olancha to north of Cartago, there will be intermittent lane closures in both directions as crews continue construction activities on the highway. The speed limit remains 55 mph through the project area.

· Mill Creek Chip Seal Project – On U.S. 395 from just east of Pleasant Valley Road to the Mono County line north of Bishop, crews continue the chip seal on the roadway Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. There will be intermittent lane closures, and drivers may experience brief delays.

Mono County

· Sonora Junction Shoulders Project – On U.S. 395 from Burcham Flat Road to State Route 108 north of Bridgeport, crews will work in the shoulders Monday and Tuesday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

· Rock Creek Pavement Project – On U.S. 395 near Tom’s Place, crews are installing electrical infrastructure at the Tom’s Place intersection. There will be intermittent lane closures and drivers may experience brief delays. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph through the project area. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

· Rush Creek Chip Seal Project – On U.S. 395 from 0.3 miles south of Old West Portal Road to 0.2 miles south of Utility Road near Lee Vining, crews continue restoring the roadway Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Traffic is reduced to one lane in both directions during work hours. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph through the work area, and drivers may experience brief delays.

The Olancha Cartago 4-Lane Project received $38.3 million, the Fish Springs Pavement Project received $36.79 million, the Bishop Pavement Project received $18.36 million, and the Sonora Junction Shoulders Project received $16.8 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) – also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under IIJA, California will receive an estimated $41.9 billion over five years. IIJA provides significant funding to rebuild California’s transportation system, including support to improve roadways, bridges, freight projects, public transportation, infrastructure safety enhancements, and to increase infrastructure resiliency to the impacts of severe weather and climate change. For more information about IIJA, visit Building California: Transforming Infrastructure for a Better Future | Home.

The Fish Springs Pavement Project received $4.77 million, the Bishop Pavement Project received $2.4 million, and the Rock Creek Pavement Project received $2.1 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1. The $2.2 million Rush Creek Chip Seal Project is fully 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. Find out how California is building for a better tomorrow by visiting build.ca.gov.

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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For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e., Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Angela Bates at 760-881-7145 or TTY 711.