District: District 3 - Marysville
Contact: Steve Nelson (Caltrans District 3), Carla Hass (El Dorado County)
Phone: (530) 701-9459, (916) 293-2046
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAMINO – Caltrans District 3 and the El Dorado County Department of Transportation are notifying the traveling public that a portion of Carson Road within the ongoing U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) Camino Safety Project will be closed next month for up to 12 days.
A full closure of Carson Road will minimize long-term staging disruptions and will significantly expedite the work. Access to Carson Road between Robindale Drive and Carson Court will be restricted from July 18 to July 29 to facilitate the reconstruction of Carson Road and Carson Court. Weather, equipment issues or other unexpected events may delay the work.
Eastbound US 50 motorists seeking access to Carson Road will be detoured to 8 Mile Road/Cedar Grove (Exit 54). Westbound US 50 motorists can exit at “upper” Carson Road or “lower” Carson Road.
This $55.4 million safety project consists of installing a continuous 56-inch-high concrete median barrier on a three-mile stretch of US 50 from Still Meadows Road to Carson Road that will restrict left turns at all at-grade intersections, building an undercrossing that will provide a safe way for traffic to cross US 50, improving drainage, replacing two El Dorado Irrigation water lines, building a wildlife undercrossing, repaving the highway, and improving county roads.
An undercrossing and a roundabout on Pondorado Road are being built to provide a connection between Pondorado Road and Carson Road. The intersection at Camino Heights Drive is scheduled to remain open to left turns until the undercrossing is open to traffic. There will be two access points for emergency responders needing to cross the highway after the project is completed.
This segment of US 50 has seen numerous collisions, including multiple fatalities, and restricting left turn movements onto or off US 50 will improve safety. Construction on the project started in June 2020 and is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
“We are encouraged to be nearing the completion of this critical safety project,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. “We understand the inconvenience of road closures and the impact to local businesses, but ultimately this project will save lives. The department is committed to highway safety as its top priority.”
The Camino area is the gateway to the agritourism region of Apple Hill and serves approximately 26,500 motorists on average daily and up to 34,000 during peak travel months. US 50 is also the direct route for visitors from Sacramento and the Bay Area to South Lake Tahoe.
Caltrans has collaborated with the El Dorado County Department of Transportation, El Dorado Irrigation District and the El Dorado County Transportation Commission on the project, with the county providing $7.3 million in funding for local road improvements.
The project includes $3.4 million in funding from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. SB 1 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. For more information about other projects funded by SB 1, visit Rebuilding California.
Caltrans District 3 is responsible for 4,385 highway lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. The El Dorado County Department of Transportation is responsible for 1,083 centerline miles of roadway and 76 bridges.
For project updates, follow Caltrans District 3 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.
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