District: District 3 - Marysville
Contact: Steve Nelson
Phone: (530) 701-9459
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAMINO – After hearing residents’ concerns about out-of-direction travel due to the left-turn restrictions on a U.S. Highway 50 project in El Dorado County, Caltrans has revised roadway conditions to permit left turns onto and off the highway at Camino Heights Drive for weekday traffic.
The intersection will be monitored for safety concerns and restricting left turns again may be deemed necessary. Left turns at the Camino Heights Drive intersection will continue to be restricted on the weekends. The intersection will be closed to left turns on Friday afternoon by 3 p.m. and reopened by 6 a.m. on Monday
Left turns through the project area are blocked at Still Meadows Road, lower Carson Road, 5 Mile/Paul Bunyon Road, and upper Carson Road. U-turns are prohibited on the highway.
Caltrans has scheduled another virtual public meeting Thursday, November 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to provide updates on the project. To join the meeting click the meeting link and enter meeting number (access code) 2486 212 0187. The meeting password is fix50camino. To join by phone dial 1 (408) 418-9388.
Weekend visitors to the Apple Hill area traveling eastbound on Highway 50 are advised to use the following exits:
- Exit 48 Schnell School Road
- Exit 49 Point View Drive
- Exit 54 Cedar Grove
- Exit 57 Ridgeway Drive
This $53.6 million safety project consists of installing a continuous 56-inch high concrete median barrier on a 3-mile stretch of Highway 50 from Still Meadows Road to upper Carson Road that will restrict left-turn movements at all at-grade intersections. An undercrossing is being built to provide access north and south of the highway.
A wildlife undercrossing was constructed in September as another safety improvement to reduce animal collisions through the corridor, and drainage improvements continue throughout the project. Water-line replacement work also is ongoing.
Construction on this project started in July 2020 and is expected to be completed by December 2022. The undercrossing is expected to be open to traffic in August of next year. Caltrans is partnering with the El Dorado County Department of Transportation on the project, with the county providing $7.3 million in funding for local road improvements.
Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow down in construction zones for the safety of travelers and work crews. Weather or unexpected events may delay or prolong the work. The department will issue updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook @CaltransDistrict3.
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