REDDING – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans District 2) wishes travelers a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. Motorists are reminded that areas of construction, maintenance, and emergency work remain in effect and are advised to check roadway conditions and allot extra time for delays surrounding travel on this holiday weekend.
Historically, peak travel dates and times surrounding this holiday weekend are:
· Friday, September 3rd between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
· Monday, September 6th between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
While many crews will not be working over the weekend, road work will be in effect in many areas through Friday, September 3rd and starting again on Tuesday, September 7th. In addition, Caltrans District 2 alerts the public to the following long-term work zones, rest area closures, and areas of traffic congestion:
· STATE ROUTE 299, MONUMENT FIRE EMERGENCY WORK – On Friday, September 3rd between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., motorists will be escorted through the closure area via pilot car from Big Flat to Burnt Ranch in Trinity County at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. For Saturday, September 4th – Monday, September 6th between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., motorists will be escorted through the closure area at the top of every hour. Beginning Tuesday, September 7th, openings every 1 ½ hours will resume again between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Only local residents and emergency personnel are allowed in the closure area between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily (overnight hours).
· STATE ROUTE 70, DIXIE FIRE EMERGENCY WORK – On Friday, September 3rd between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., motorists can plan for up to 2-hour delays on State Route 70 between Jarbo Gap and Quincy at various locations for emergency work. From Saturday, September 4th – Monday, September 6th, no work or delays are planned in the area for Caltrans operations, however motorists may encounter areas of permitted emergency work. Motorists should plan for up to 2-hour delays beginning again on Tuesday, September 7th at 6 a.m.
· STATE ROUTES 36 & 89, DIXIE FIRE EMERGENCY WORK – On Friday, September 3rd between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., motorists can play for up to 1-hour delays in various locations on State Routes 36 and 89 for emergency work. From Saturday, September 4th – Monday, September 6th, no work or delays are planned in the area for Caltrans operations, however motorists may encounter areas of permitted emergency work. Motorists should plan for up to 1-hour delays beginning again on Tuesday, September 7th at 6 a.m.
· SOUTHBOUND INTERSTATE 5, BLACK BUTTE OVERHEAD BRIDGE REPLACEMENT – Southbound Interstate 5 is reduced to two lanes between Weed and Mt. Shasta for the Black Butte Overhead Bridge Replacement Project in Siskiyou County. Motorists may experience delays during periods of higher traffic volumes.
· STATE ROUTE 36, AUGUST COMPLEX SLIDE – 24/7 traffic control is currently in effect for slide work on State Route 36 in Trinity County, approximately 6 miles west of the junction with State Route 3. Motorists should plan for up to 60-minute delays during daytime hours through September 3rd at 7 p.m. While no work is planned for Saturday – Monday (September 4th – September 6th), motorists will encounter flagging operations 24/7 with minimal delays. Longer delays (up to 60-minutes) are planned to begin again on Tuesday, September 7th at 7 a.m.
· STATE ROUTE 299, FRANCIS B. MATTHEWS SAFETY ROADSIDE REST AREA – The Francis B. Matthews Rest Area on State Route 299, near Salyer in Trinity County, will be closed over the holiday weekend due to continued construction work. Motorists traveling in the area should plan their stops accordingly.
· NORTHBOUND INTERSTATE 5, O’BRIEN SAFETY ROADSIDE REST AREA – The O’Brien Rest Area on northbound Interstate 5, north of Redding, will be closed over the holiday weekend due to continued construction work. Motorists traveling in the area should plan their stops accordingly.
· NORTHBOUND & SOUTHBOUND INTERSTATE 5, WEED SAFETY ROADSIDE REST AREAS – The Weed Safety Roadside Rest Areas on northbound and southbound Interstate 5, north of Weed in Siskiyou County, will be closed over the holiday weekend due to continued construction work. Motorists traveling in the area should plan their stops accordingly.
· STATE ROUTE 89 NEAR McARTHUR – BURNEY FALLS MEMORIAL STATE PARK – Impacted traffic flows have occurred on recent holiday weekends on State Route 89 near McArthur – Burney Falls Memorial State Park in Shasta County. Motorists are asked to utilize alternative routes for through traffic in the area and plan for delays if they are intending to visit the park.
Motorists are recommended to follow roadway conditions often for any possible new incidents that may cause traffic control or areas of closure. Up to date California highway conditions are available 24/7 through QuickMap. Motorists are also advised to tune to 1610 AM (97.9 FM in Modoc County and 1580 AM in Butte County for State Routes 70 & 191) when flashing lights are operational on Highway Advisory Radio signs and to immediately call 9-1-1 if they find themselves in an emergency situation.
Traveler resources include:
· QuickMap: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ (also available by free app. for smartphones)
· One-Stop-Shop (Western U.S.): http://oss.weathershare.org (mobile version available at: http://oss.weathershare.org/m)
· District 2 Project Information: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-2/d2-projects
· District 2 Facebook and Twitter pages with updated project and incident information
