Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
District: 05 - Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact: Heidi Crawford or Kevin Drabinski
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3318
DAYTIME WORK CONTINUES ON STATE ROUTE 183/MERRITT STREET IN CASTROVILLE
MONTEREY COUNTY — Construction continues on a major rehabilitation of State Route 183 (Merritt Street) in Castroville to enhance multimodal travel. This next phase of work will result in daytime sidewalk, curb and roadway work and grading.
One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open for travelers on SR 183. Work next week includes roadway excavation, installing underground irrigation and utility boxes and the demolition/ replacement of sidewalks and curbs and grading of side slopes and drainage channels. There will also be paving of local roads intersecting Merritt Street.
Construction activities next week will take place between 7 am to 4 pm in the locations of Rico Street to Preston Street, and from Sanchez Street to Washington Street.
All businesses remain open and Caltrans appreciates the patience of the business community and the people of Castroville.
A zone for construction workers and two-way traffic will be maintained with minor delays and will include heavy equipment. During some stages of construction, there will be a temporary removal of parking, sidewalk and driveway access. Pedestrian access to local businesses and residences will be provided and maintained by the Contractor. Bicyclists and motorists are encouraged to share the road on SR 183. These delays should not exceed 10 minutes.
Residents in the vicinity of this work should expect pavement striping and equipment adjacent to live traffic. This is crucial for the safety of both workers and all travelers. Noise and vibration associated with grinding and paving activities are also expected.
Message and directional signs will direct travelers in advance of the project area.
Travelers are encouraged to remain on State Route 183 and avoid detours through residential areas and to be alert for highway worker and equipment in this work zone.
All businesses in the Castroville Business District on State Route 183 Merritt Street remain open.
About the Project
Through the town of Castroville on Merritt Street, the project will rehabilitate the pavement, address essential bridge maintenance needs, and improve multimodal features, including transit stops, sidewalks, driveways, and curb ramps. The project will also install new Intelligent Transportation System features and improve aesthetics, bicycle network continuity, and pedestrian safety.
Updates for the SR183/Merritt Street Castroville Improvement Project can be found at:
State Route 183 Castroville Improvement Project | Caltrans
The contractor for this $38 million project is Granite Construction, Inc. out of Watsonville, CA. This project is expected to be complete by early 2028.
Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway work zones.
For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5
CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: https://cad.chp.ca.gov/
Traveler Information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
