District: District 10
Contact: Thomas Lawrence
Phone: (209) 948-7911
MERCED COUNTY — Caltrans will improve and extend the service life of 18 bridges on Interstate 5 and State Route 152 in Merced County, due to the funds from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
"I-5 and SR-152 are vital roadways for industrial, agricultural, commercial, and recreational purposes in Merced County. This SB 1 funded project will save taxpayers millions of dollars in costly repairs in the future, provide motorists with a smooth commute, and ensure the Central Valley’s agricultural industry has sustainable routes to keep business booming."
Approximately 65,000 vehicles per day use these stretches of SR-152 and I-5 to reach their destination. More than 75 percent of the trucks on this stretch of I-5 and 65 percent on SR-152 are five-axle, heavy trucks.
"This SB 1 funded project will benefit commuters, locals, and California’s commercial and agricultural industries. By extending the service life of the bridges, we are ensuring our roadways can handle the high volume of commercial truck traffic transporting goods between Southern and Northern California, and sustain the weight of trucks hauling agricultural goods, such as tomatoes, poultry, nuts, cattle and other goods between the Central Valley and the Bay Area."
This $4.7 million project has been awarded to Myers and Sons Construction of Sacramento, California. Crews will replace joint seals, repair and restore the roadway, and improve traffic safety. Work began the week of July 1, and crews will work on I-5 between Ortigalita Creek and West Bank Road, and on SR-152 at the San Luis Dam Forebay and the California Aqueduct. Crews are scheduled to work weeknights and perform lane closures. There are no current plans for full highway closures on I-5 or SR-152; however, motorists should expect at least a 10-minute delay while crews are at work. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, use alternate routes, and Be Work Zone Alert.
Work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. More information and updates on projects can be found on the Caltrans District 10 Project Page or on Twitter via @CaltransDist10 and on Facebook at Caltrans-District-10.
SB 1 provides an ongoing funding increase of approximately $1.8 billion annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state highway system. SB 1 funds will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts by 2027.
Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1, visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.