District: District 3 - Marysville|
Contact: Gilbert Mohtes-Chan
Phone: (530) 741-4571; (530) 682-6145
BUTTE COUNTY — Construction crews are scheduled to make several roadway changes this weekend along a 2½-mile stretch of State Highway 70 south of Oroville.
Starting at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, July 28, the contractor will start placing K-rail – a temporary concrete barrier – on the west side of Highway 70 between Palermo Road and Ophir Road to provide a safety buffer between motorists and construction equipment and workers. This stage work will last approximately one month.
Crews also will reopen Welsh Road and close west Ophir Road at Highway 70 for about a month. Motorists should use Georgia Pacific Way to access Pacific Heights Road. A detour with signage will be in place.
In addition, southbound Highway 70 traffic will be shifted onto a new alignment via a median crossover from Georgia Pacific Way to Ophir Road.
As part of a Caltrans work zone safety initiative, the speed limit has been reduced from 65 to 55 mph between Georgia Pacific Way and Ophir Road and 55 to 45 mph in the remainder of the construction area. Radar speed feedback trailers are in place along the highway to remind motorists about the driving speed. The California Highway Patrol will be monitoring traffic in the work zone.
Caltrans advises motorists to use alternate routes such as Highway 99 to avoid traffic congestion in the construction area.
The work is part of a $48.6 million project to construct a continuous two-way left turn lane, widen the shoulders to 8 feet, upgrade drainage systems and increase the clear recovery zone area for errant vehicles to safety recover and correct direction.
Weather or unexpected events may delay or prolong the work. Caltrans advises motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert.” The department will issue construction updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.