Sacramento, California – Caltrans crews were getting ready for one of the most disruptive freeway closures Sacramento drivers have experienced in months when the weather prompted them to rethink their plans suddenly late Friday. A 27-hour shutdown of important lanes on U.S. Highway 50 through downtown was stopped just before it was supposed to start.
The shutdown was supposed to start at 9 p.m. on Friday, January 23, and last until midnight on Saturday. It would have had an effect on the No. 1, or fast, lanes in both directions of U.S. 50 between 15th Street and 26th Street, which is a busy stretch of road also known as the W-X Freeway. Caltrans said that the work was part of the last phases in building the major phase of the Fix 50 project, which has changed the corridor over the course of several years.
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Caltrans put off the closure hours before traffic control was supposed to be fully in place because the weather was getting worse. The fog got thicker and the temperatures dropped overnight, making it harder to see in downtown Sacramento. Officials said that going ahead with the work under those conditions would have put construction workers and cars who were passing through the work zone at unnecessary risk.
CBS News Sacramento said that the closure had been called off because of the weather, while ABC10 said that the work had been put off because of poor visibility.
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The closure was pushed back so that contractors could conclude work on the Fix 50 project, which is officially known as the U.S. Highway 50 Multimodal Corridor Enhancement and Rehabilitation Project. The work has included better lanes, more facilities for high-occupancy vehicles, and more general repairs to the old freeway infrastructure in central Sacramento. The project has had a lot of problems, even though most of the work is done.
Weather delays have been a problem more than once, along with problems with getting permits, increased material costs, and the difficulty of rebuilding a major urban roadway while keeping traffic moving. Because of this, the project is years behind schedule and has cost more than expected, which is frustrating for both commuters and local government.
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In its first announcements, Caltrans did not give a new date for the lane closure that had been pushed back. Construction on U.S. 50 is still going on, though, and there are still lane and ramp closures at night from time to time as part of the work. Officials have made it clear that plans can change at any time, especially in the winter when fog, rain, and freezing weather can make things different very rapidly.
Caltrans avoided what could have been a big traffic problem in downtown Sacramento on the weekend by not closing everything down. Drivers were advised to keep alert for updates and should consult official sources including Caltrans QuickMap, the Fix 50 project website, or the state highway conditions hotline before driving through the area.