Headlines About California Highways – July 2025

[cahwyguy]

So I’m now retired. You think it would give me time to work on the highway pages, right? July started with two funerals (my M-I-L, and my stepmother (who married my dad when I was in my 30s). Writing podcast episodes and trying to find a better way to record them. A trip to Las Vegas (see my recommendations). Lots of theatre. Lots of trying to figure out the rhythm of retirement. Oh, and a little highways work. But, as I noted last month, the rhythm of life goes on, reminding us to move forward. One of those reminders is the monthly highway headlines post, because work on California’s highways never finishes.

The podcast continues, albeit on a slightly slower schedule while I work on Season 4. In July, we got out our first bonus episode at the end of Season 3. The second bonus episode will be a share of the first episode of the Freeway Exit podcast on Route 163, together with an interview with the host. It should be … provocative … as the episode discusses whether Route 163 in Balboa Park should go away. Before we record it, I want to try some new recording software  (Zencaster) to see if I can improve the sound. There might be a third bonus episode, depending on who gets back to me from my inquiries. The first episodes of Season 4 should be a bear: We’re going over all things Route 8 and US 80, both within San Diego and Point Loma (Ep. 4.01) and from La Mesa to the Arizona border, with a discussion of the Imperial Highway (Ep. 4.02). Something to look forward to in the fall.

It looks like the regular audience is between 60-70 folks, and I’d love to get that number up. You can help. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Share the podcast on Facebook groups, and in your Bluesky and Mastodon communities. For those that hear the early episodes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Creators) . The following episode has been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.13: Fresno Flats (Bonus). Episode 3.13 is our first bonus episode, bridging the gap while we write Season 4. This bonus episode is a presentation that our co-host, Tom Fearer, gave at the Fresno Flats museum back in May 2025. The presentation focuses on the highways of the Oakhurst area, and was described as: “Since the establishment of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road in 1853 the Sierra Nevada foothills of what is now Madera County has been a hub of highway development. Much of the existing infrastructure in the area was established by the late 1880s with the plotting of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road and Yosemite Stage Road. The area was of great interest during the early State Highway era due to the desirable access it could provide for logging interests and automotive based recreational travel to Yosemite National Park. Even Minaret Summit was briefly considered for a proposed extension of Interstate 70 into California before the era of environmental impact assessment began.” We’ll pick up in the fall with Season 4, which will cover Route 8 through Route 14. I’m also looking into better software for recording the podcast: In particular, does anyone have opinions on Zencaster, Riverside, or Squadcast? (Spotify for Podcasters)

As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for July.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Ħ End of Sepulveda Blvd (FB/Photo Collection – Los Angeles Public Library). [1963] “Sylmar’s notorious ‘Boulevard of Death’ – killer of more than 30 persons in the last 11 years – has been closed forever. Traffic on the strip of Sepulveda Blvd. from San Fernando Rd. to Rinaldi St. has been diverted onto the northbound lanes of the San Diego and Golden State Freeway route now being constructed. The feared Sepulveda Blvd. link will be buried under tons of earth laid down as a road bed for the southbound lanes of the freeways. The new 2 1/2-mile freeway…
• CTC Backs Doomed Highway Project (CalBike). Meetings of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) usually fly under the radar with few, if any, members of the public aware they’re happening, much less showing up to comment. But a raft of grants proposed for contested highway projects, including the Highway 99 interchange in Fresno and State Route 37 widening, drew opposition from transportation advocates and attention in the press. CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey joined a number of other advocates in attending the June 26, 2025, CTC meeting. She testified against funding to add lanes to SR 37, which is already subject to flooding and will be permanently underwater, due to sea level rise, by the middle of the century.
• $39.9M grant approved for new Centennial Corridor interchange between 99, 58 freeways (Bakersfield Now). The California Transportation Commission has approved a $39.9 million grant to Caltrans and the Kern Council of Governments for the construction of the Centennial Corridor’s southbound Highway 99 to westbound Highway 58 connector ramp. The funding marks the final piece of the Centennial Corridor Project, which is supported by the Thomas Roads Improvement Program [TRIP] —a collaboration among Caltrans, the Kern Council of Governments, the City of Bakersfield, and Kern County.
• State Route 1 Pilarcitos Creek Bridge Project in Half Moon Bay (Caltrans). The Pilarcitos Creek Bridge on State Route 1 near State Route 92 in Half Moon Bay has been identified as a “scour critical bridge” which requires installation of additional protection for the foundation. Erosion around its supports —known as scour—poses a risk to the structure’s long-term stability, particularly during high-flow events such as floods. Caltrans has initiated a project to restore and protect the bridge. Construction will require intermittent closures of the right-hand turn ramp from northbound SR-1 to eastbound SR-92. During the construction phase, the bike/pedestrian path running under SR-1 from San Mateo Road to SR-92 will be closed.
• Caltrans details Last Chance Grade diversion plans (Eureka Times-Standard via MSN). Last Friday, the office of California Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) announced “a $40 million investment approved by the California Transportation Commission today to jump-start the design phase of the long-awaited Last Chance Grade Project.” The investment will move forward a plan selected by Caltrans in early June (previously called “Alternative F”) for “a 6,000-foot tunnel that bypasses area landslides and realigns the highway.” In a press release issued on June 13, the agency called the plan “essential to advancing the Last Chance Grade Project efficiently.”
• This 31-Mile Highway In California Is So Gorgeous, You’ll Wish It Never Ends (Family Destinations Guide). Some roads were built for getting from point A to point B, but the Avenue of the Giants in Northern California was clearly designed by someone who understood that the journey itself can be the destination. This magnificent 31-mile scenic byway winds through Humboldt Redwoods State Park like a ribbon threading through nature’s most impressive cathedral, where the towering coast redwoods serve as living pillars that have been standing since before your great-great-great-grandmother was even a twinkle in someone’s eye.

• California: 6 spectacular back roads across the Golden State (EnVols via MSN). Away from the main tourist tracks, these little-travelled roads reveal a wilder, more contrasting and more intimate California. From tall mountains to arid deserts, here are six routes to take at your own pace!
• Ħ Torrance Freeway (FB/Gordon Ross). I remember one old T-guide I had that showed a dashed line, which might become the newest freeway, the Torrance Freeway. There were four routes under review. The fifth one one out, it was cancelled. Again, wish I would’ve kept all my T-guides, but moved out of country to the Philippines and just left them. Dumb.
• Ramona Expressway (FB/Senator Sabrina Cervantes). The Ramona Expressway in #SD31 will receive $63 million in funding for improvements, such as providing two lanes in each direction, a new bridge over the San Jacinto River, bike lanes in each direction, and a new wildlife crossing! #DeliveringResults to make our roadways safer.
• With 6,000-foot tunnel and $2.1B, California set to save remote region (SFGate). A long-awaited fix is finally taking shape for one of the most hazardous and landslide-prone stretches of California’s Highway 101: a massive tunnel project that would become the longest in the state’s history. The trouble spot lies deep in the so-called Redwood Curtain — the remote, forested region of California’s far North Coast, where Highway 101 clings to steep cliffs above the Pacific. It’s a rugged, isolated stretch of road, more than five hours north of San Francisco and nearly as far from Portland. When it fails, entire communities like Crescent City and the hamlet of Klamath are cut off.
• Caltrans wins funding for high-occupancy toll lanes on I-805 in South Bay |  (KPBS Public Media – DONATE). Caltrans District 11 won a competitive grant last week that will help fund the conversion of carpool lanes on Interstate 805 in the South Bay into high-occupancy toll lanes. The project, which stretches from Palomar Street to State Route 94 and has been planned since at least 2011, will allow solo drivers to pay a toll to access the lanes. The toll amounts have not yet been set, but similar systems, such as the I-15 express lanes in North County, have tolls that fluctuate based on congestion. Carpoolers can typically access high-occupancy toll lanes without paying. The $39.6 million grant came from the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program, which is funded by the state’s gas tax and administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The total project cost is estimated at $131 million and is expected to open by 2030.
• ＄ San Rafael approves roadside memorial policy (Marin Independent Journal). The San Rafael City Council has approved a policy regulating the size and location of roadside memorials for people killed in traffic collisions. The policy, adopted at the council’s meeting on June 23, was proposed to avoid safety hazards and obstructions in the public right of way, said Bernadette Sullivan, a public works official. “Losing a loved one in a traffic collision is devastating,” Sullivan said. “In the midst of grief, families sometimes turn to roadside memorials as a visible way to mourn and honor a person lost. At the same time, we have seen safety and maintenance concerns when these memorials are left unmanaged or placed in unsafe locations.” Sullivan said the concerns include blocked sidewalks, driver distraction and challenges for municipal staff to maintain public infrastructure.
• State Route 29 (SR-29)/Sonoma Boulevard Vallejo Pavement Rehab and Complete Streets Project (Caltrans). Caltrans will perform roadway pavement rehabilitation on approximately six miles in both northbound and southbound travel directions of State Route 29 (SR-29) also known as Sonoma Boulevard in Vallejo. Additionally, Caltrans will also add new Complete Street project elements (including ADA accessible curb ramps, curb bulb outs, enhanced crosswalks, plant new grass in various medians, add new marked bike lanes and add new street lighting) on various sections of SR-29/Sonoma Boulevard in South Vallejo, Downtown Vallejo, Vallejo’s Redwood Street and Valle Vista Avenue Business District and North Vallejo. The project will be located on SR-29/Sonoma Boulevard beginning at Maritime Academy Drive in South Vallejo and ending at the Napa County line past Mini Drive in North Vallejo.
• State Route 99 Rehabilitation Project Underway (Gridley News). California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is currently working on a major $27.3 million pavement and complete streets project on State Route 99 through the heart of the city of Gridley. This project will improve roadway conditions, enhance safety and upgrade pedestrian and bicycle access along the corridor.
• Chunk of Highway 1 near Big Sur repaired, reopened (SF Standard). Big Sur’s redwoods, state parks, and tide pools are once again within easy reach for Bay Area travelers this Fourth of July weekend, now that a section of Highway 1 that had been partially closed has reopened to two-way traffic. Caltrans announced this week that crews had fully stabilized a segment of the Pacific Coast Highway approximately 17 miles south of Monterey that partially collapsed in March 2024 after heavy rains. As drone footage revealed, a chunk of the southbound lanes near Rocky Creek Bridge washed out and slid toward the ocean, necessitating one-way traffic controls for the last 15 months.
• Sepulveda Pass to undergo nightly lane closures along a major stretch of the 405 Freeway (LAist via MSN). What to expect? Overnight closures begin July 14 through July 18 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Up to two lanes on the northbound and southbound sides of the 405 Freeway between Wilshire Boulevard and Mulholland Drive/Skirball Center Drive will be closed, according to Caltrans. The northbound side closure will last one more evening, ending on July 19.
• Intermittent closures scheduled as crews set girders for first-of-its-kind wildlife crossing in Northern California (Lassen News). Beginning Monday, July 14, motorists traveling on Highway 97 near Grass Lake in Siskiyou County should be prepared for intermittent full highway closures with up to 30-minute delays as crews begin setting girders for a groundbreaking new structure, which will be the first fiber-reinforced polymer wildlife overcrossing in Northern California. This innovative project is designed to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and provide a safe passage for many species of animals including migratory elk, mule deer, pronghorn and others that frequently attempt to cross the highway in this area. These collisions not only threaten animal populations but also pose serious safety risks for motorists and create ongoing maintenance concerns.
• ＄ Richmond-San Rafael Bridge revised bike path plan submitted – (Marin Independent Journal). A revised proposal to convert the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike path to a part-time feature is under review. Caltrans, which owns the bridge, and the Bay Area Toll Authority, which funds operations and maintenance of the span through toll revenue, submitted its revised application on Monday. “The modified pilot is a forward-thinking approach that will benefit all corridor travelers,” the application said. “In conjunction with the complementary projects and studies, it will allow Caltrans and BATA to methodically understand the trade-offs through observed data and better serve the varied users traveling between Contra Costa and Marin counties.” The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, or BCDC, plans to hold a public hearing and possible vote on the proposal on Aug. 7, said Rylan Gervase, a spokesperson for the agency. The barrier-protected, 10-foot, bidirectional path was introduced in 2019 as a four-year pilot project. Since its opening, the path has served as a success story for cyclists promoting access and connectivity, while commuting drivers complain that bridge traffic is worse than ever.
• $104.6M Caltrans project to fix Yuba County roadway with reputation for truck crashes (KTXL-TV Sacramento via MSN). A roadway that runs underneath an overpass in Yuba County and has a reputation for semi-truck crashes will soon be upgraded to avoid the common incident. The California Department of Transportation announced the State Highway 70 Safety Improvement Project, which includes construction on several parts of the roadway in Yuba County. According the Caltrans, the project is based on reports that showed 85 collisions, seven fatalities, and 32 injuries on Highway 70 within a three-year timeframe, from 2010 to 2013.
• This Is California’s Most Underrated Road Trip—and It Travels the State’s Oldest Highway (Travel + Leisure via MSN). El Camino Real connects 21 historic missions and is packed with charming small towns, stunning national parks, and world-class wineries. Between San Diego’s sandy beaches and Sonoma’s wineries, a route winds hundreds of miles up the California coast. You might know it as Interstate 5 or Highway 101, but centuries ago, it had a much more regal name: El Camino Real.
• Caltrans Wants to Hear From You – Silver Strand Survey (Coronado Times). Caltrans District 11 is studying how to protect the Silver Strand, SR-75 — the scenic route between Imperial Beach and Coronado — from sea-level rise, flooding, and storm impacts, and wants to hear from you. Your input will help shape real solutions to keep this vital highway safe and accessible. Whether you’re a resident, commuter, business owner or community member, your experience can help guide decisions that affect the future of the Silver Strand. The goals of the survey are to help plan for climate resilience, to ensure that local voices are heard, and to support long-term access for the community.
• Caltrans to Begin Repaving Project on Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard (Caltrans). Caltrans announces the start of a pavement rehabilitation project on State Route 232 (Vineyard Avenue) between US 101 and State Route 118 (Los Angeles Avenue) in Oxnard and the unincorporated Ventura County area of El Rio on Monday, July 14. The Vineyard Avenue Pavement Project stretches from US 101 to State Route 118 and will replace more than 14 lane miles of pavement to improve ride quality. The project will also make the following improvements: · Upgrade 37 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps · Install curb ramps at new locations · Install accessible pedestrian signals and push buttons · Upgrade more than 650 linear feet of guardrail · Construct new approach and departure slabs for the US 101/State Route 232 interchange · Add bicycle lanes
• ＄ Vehicular access to LAX set for major shakeup (Urbanize LA). Starting next year, the combination of Metro’s LAX Metro Transit Center and the new LAX automated people mover will offer a new way to reach the region’s busiest airport without a private automobile. But for those who still choose to enter the airport’s notorious horseshoe in their cars, more changes are coming. A presentation to the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission from LAWA, Skanska, Flatiron, and HNTB showcases the roadway elements of the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project, which would dramatically shift how vehicle traffic flows through the airport. LAWA plans to funnel travelers entering from and exiting to Sepulveda Boulevard into a spaghetti-like array of new flyovers, ramps, and roadways originating at and terminating at Sepulveda’s intersection with 96th Street.
• San Francisco park’s new expansion owes its life to Highway 101 (SFGate). Patches of blue sky appeared through the morning fog above the Golden Gate Bridge as a small crowd assembled on a perfectly manicured lawn Wednesday to commemorate the latest addition to one of San Francisco’s most thriving neighborhoods. Three years since the Presidio Tunnel Tops debuted, the park expanded by 1.5 acres when Outpost Meadow opened this week. The compact space can sit up to 240 people at 25 picnic tables with unobstructed views of the bridge and the Golden Gate. There are two barbecue grills near the shade of umbrellas, bike and stroller parking and access to the Presidio’s extensive food trucks.
• $58 million to relieve I‑680/SR‑4 bottleneck in Contra Costa County (The Bay Link Blog). The Interstate 680/State Route 4 Interchange Improvement Project, a long‑awaited upgrade that will untangle one of Contra Costa County’s most persistent traffic chokepoints, will receive $58 million from the California Transportation Commission (CTC). Last month the CTC approved the funding for the next phase of the project. The new state dollars will be paired with approximately $160 million in Regional Measure 3 and Contra Costa’s Measure J transportation half-cent sales tax, enabling the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to begin construction next year with completion slated for the end of 2028.
• Calif. city’s largest project replaces historic bridge by Highway 101 (SFGate). A small city on the Central Coast is in the middle of completing its “largest project to date,” as described in a May news release, replacing a historic bridge built parallel with Highway 101. The City of Arroyo Grande near Pismo Beach is replacing the 93-year-old Traffic Way Bridge adjacent to Highway 101. The $11 million project is expected to last until December and will affect approximately 11,000 vehicles per day, according to the city.
• New Traffic Alignment on Eastbound US 50 in Sacramento (Caltrans). Construction on the $511.1 million U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) Multimodal Corridor Enhancement “Fix50” Project continues with a new eastbound US 50 traffic alignment scheduled to go into effect by 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 17. The contractor has begun work to reconfigure eastbound traffic for this construction stage. The traffic split begins at 51st Street and will continue until after the State Route 16 (SR 16)/Howe Avenue/Power Inn Road/Hornet Drive (Exit 9) off-ramp.
• State Route 49 Construction Update for Gold Country Corridor (Caltrans). Caltrans is reminding motorists of various lane and ramp closures in multiple locations along State Route 49 (SR 49) as several projects continue in Placer County. Here is the breakdown for next week:
• Caltrans to Improve 38 Lane Milesl of Roadway on State Route 120 East (Sierra Wave). What you need to know: Mono Mills Road (SR 120) will receive a “Cold In-Place Recycle” of pavement for a much-improved driving experience. MONO COUNTY — Drivers will soon experience better road conditions on State Route 120 East in southern Mono County, as construction beings Monday on the SR 120 Cold In-Place Recycle Project. The primary focus of the $4 million project is to improve and extend the life of the pavement on the roadway. Crews will rehabilitate the pavement on SR 120 East from five miles west of Dobie Meadows Road to Black Lake Road. Cold in-place recycling is an effective highway maintenance tool that’s achieved through a partial depth reclamation of the pavement. Partial depth reclamation is the process of grinding the roadway down, laying a foam oil mix layer, then reclaiming the pavement and applying hot mix asphalt. Papich Construction Co. is the contractor for this maintenance project. Work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Crews expect the project to last 40 working days.
• State Route 32 Rehabilitation Project advancing in Chico (Lake County News). Construction continues on Caltrans’ $43 million State Route 32 Rehabilitation Project in Chico to enhance safety, pavement conditions, and accessibility along a vital five-mile stretch through the city. One-way traffic control with pilot car assistance is in effect 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for nightly paving operations. Crews will start work next week at West Sacramento Avenue ending at 9th Street by the end of the month. Motorists should expect brief delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes when possible.
• $387M for Ferguson Rock Shed project in Mariposa County (Your Central Valley). Over $300 million in funding was approved and has been given to Mariposa County to construct a two-lane rock shed along Highway 140 near the community of El Portal and Yosemite National Park. The total amount that was awarded was $387,560,000. This amount was allocated after $5 billion was invested to increase transportation options throughout the state and improve highway safety. The county says the Ferguson Rock Shed project will restore full access to one of the main routes into Yosemite National Park. The project will restore two-lane access on Highway 140 through the Ferguson slide area with the construction of a two-lane rock shelter structure on the original alignment.
• First-of-its-kind wildlife overcrossing in Northern California officially in progress (KRCR Chico Redding via MSN). Caltrans begins work on a first-of-its-kind wildlife overcrossing in Northern California. This is part of a project called the Wildfire Crossing Structure Project located on U.S. 97 in Siskiyou County near Grass Lake, from approximately 1.4 miles north of Deer Mountain Road to 0.6 mile north of the Grass Lake Rest Area (Post Mile 18.0 to 22.4). Senator Megan Dahle said the goal of the overcrossing is to reduce vehicle collisions involving elk, deer, pronghorn and other wildlife that frequently cross this stretch of highway. Caltrans added that the project area has the highest recorded wildlife-vehicle conflict rate in District 2, with over 50 deer and 16 elk fatalities recorded between 2015 and 2020.
• ↈ The Forgotten Highway That Brought More People to California Than Route 66 (Sidetrack Adventures via MSN). Before freeways took over, Highway 80 brought waves of travelers through San Diego’s El Cajon Blvd. This drive traces its history, from neon motels to futuristic 7-11s.
• California State Route 173 summer project begins near South Hesperia (Victorville Daily Press via MSN). Caltrans has announced that its new $3.3 million summer pavement rehabilitation project on State Route 173 has begun near South Hesperia. The infrastructure upgrade will enhance road safety and driving conditions from the State Route 138 junction to approximately .5 mile east of Arrowhead Lake Road south of Hesperia Lake Park.
• ＄ Call box system to end along Ventura County highways (VC Star). Emergency call boxes along Ventura County highways are scheduled to be shut down by Sept. 1 due to waning demand. The Ventura County Transportation Commission board voted in May to discontinue all 427 call boxes in the county’s Emergency Call Box System, according to an agency news release. “It’s not just lower service, it’s incredibly dramatic lower service,” said Martin Erickson, the commission’s executive director, citing the decline in usage as a reason for their decommission. By 2024, only 849 calls had been made on the boxes compared to the 5,800 in 2005, commission officials said. The wider availability of cellphones led to the 85% decrease in calls within the last 20 years, he added. Issues maintaining the call system were also a factor, according to the commission.
• Golden Gate Bridge needs about a billion dollars (SF Gate). For decades, the Golden Gate Bridge has stood the test of time, but since it’s only about 6 miles from the San Andreas Fault, the bridge’s owners are keenly aware that it’s susceptible to damage that a major earthquake could cause. Following damage to the bridge during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District determined that the bridge needed retrofitting to maintain its structural integrity in the event of another major earthquake. The Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction Project, an ongoing construction project that started almost three decades ago, enters its final phase in January 2026. Construction is expected to continue for roughly another decade.
• Marin-Sonoma Narrows project continues in Marin County (The Bay Link Blog). Completion of the Highway 101 Marin-Sonoma Narrows widening project is getting closer as construction continues. The project includes widening US-101 to install High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for 3.5 miles along the northbound lanes from North Novato to the Marin-Sonoma line, and for 6.3 miles along the southbound lanes from De Long Avenue to the county line. HOV lanes are scheduled to be open to use this summer, according to Caltrans. The next phase of work will see the Atherton Avenue and De Long Avenue on- and off-ramps on southbound US-101 closing from Monday, July 21 to Friday, July 25 from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning. As many as two lanes are scheduled to be closed in the area as well. At least one lane will be open for traffic. All work depends on weather. Daytime access will be available for drivers.
• ＄ Assemblywoman Wilson discusses future of funding for roads, bridges (The Vacaville Reporter). Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, brought together local leaders, transportation officials, and community members for a regional meeting Thursday, at Fresno State University to discuss the future of funding for roads, bridges and other multimodal transportation projects in the San Joaquin Valley and throughout the state. “As California leads the transition to fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles, we must modernize our transportation funding system in a way that is fair, accountable, and sustainable,” said Wilson. “All stakeholders have a seat at the table to weigh in on solutions for maintaining and improving the safety of our multimodal transportation system.” The regional meeting was the first in a series of planned community conversations Wilson is leading across the state to engage Californians in an inclusive, multiyear conversation to shape policy solutions that ensure transportation infrastructure improvements are funded over the long term.
• SANDAG pares back freeway expansions in draft transportation plan (KPBS Public Media). Officials with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) regional planning agency are seeking public input on a draft transportation plan that maps out infrastructure investments over the next 25 years. The 2025 Regional Transportation Plan is significantly smaller in scope than the previous plan adopted in 2021. Antoinette Meier, SANDAG’s senior director of regional planning, said part of the reason is slower population growth, which means planning for fewer people. “We also want to have this plan be a little bit more affordable,” Meier said. “We heard from our board, we heard from the public that they wanted the costs to come down for the plan. So we tried to really optimize our existing infrastructure the best we could.”
• Caltrans & Granite Pave On with Award-Winning Work on Highway 101 (SWCPA). Caltrans and Granite Construction have been working on – and improving – Highway 101 through innovation and great paving work since 2012. In Phase 2 of the U.S. 101 Santa Barbara to Mussel Shoals Project, Granite widened six miles of Highway 101 from Mussel Shoals to Carpinteria and added carpool lanes in both directions. Currently in Phase 4, Granite is working with Caltrans as Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) in order to accelerate construction and shorten the overall duration of the project. Caltrans Construction Engineer Jason Kline reports that Highway 101 in Phase 4 is being expanded to three lanes of Continually Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) in each direction, from Montecito to Carpinteria, and making it a consistent, minimum six-lane highway from northern Goleta all the way to Los Angeles.
• ＄ California Highway 173 summer road project begins near South Hesperia (Daily Press). Caltrans has announced that its new $3.3 million summer pavement rehabilitation project on State Route 173 has begun near South Hesperia. The infrastructure upgrade will enhance road safety and driving conditions from the State Route 138 junction to approximately .5 mile east of Arrowhead Lake Road south of Hesperia Lake Park. Caltrans has announced that its new $3.3 million summer pavement rehabilitation project on State Route 173 has begun near South Hesperia. Crews will remove and replace the existing asphalt surface using cold planning and hot mix asphalt techniques, which will cause delays, alternating lane closures and one-way traffic control, with the assistance of flaggers and pilot vehicles.
• Caltrans resumes excavation efforts to restore Highway 1 access in Big Sur (KSBW Monterey Salinas). Caltrans said it will continue its efforts to fully restore public access to Highway 1 in the Big Sur area. Crews resumed full-scale excavation activities at the Regent’s Slide area in mid-July. The area has been closed since February 9, 2024. Following the installation of 2,000 shear dowels, which were drilled and grouted into the cut slope above the active work area to stabilize slope movement identified in April.
• Ħ Highway 4 Widening Back on Track (FB/Mark Harrigan). “Although the pass must be lowered 75 feet, crews can’t bulldoze that all at once. Some traffic lanes will be switched back and forth as huge portions of dirt are carved away in sections. BART tracks will go under eastbound Highway 4 and enter at the freeway median, Max- well said. Tracks will stay in the median all the way to West Pittsburg”
• Interstate 80 Construction Update for Sierra Corridor (Caltrans). Caltrans is reminding motorists of various lane and ramp closures in multiple locations along Interstate 80 (I-80) and State Route 20 (SR 20) as several projects continue in Placer and Nevada counties. Motorists may experience delays between 30 to 45 minutes and are encouraged to factor in additional travel times along the I-80 Sierra corridor.
• ＄ Early stages of El Camino improvements underway in San Mateo County (San Mateo Daily Journal). After years of stops and starts, city leaders throughout the county are hoping safety changes to the county’s major road can finally come to fruition over the next decade. State Route 82, or El Camino Real, serves as a main road spanning the entire county north to south, but improving the often-dangerous walking and biking conditions is notoriously difficult, given it falls under state, not local, jurisdiction. Currently, the road’s narrow sidewalks, gaps in crosswalks and lack of adequate bike lanes is dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians, SamTrans Project Manager Cassie Halls said during a July meeting of San Mateo’s Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission.
• Ħ SB Arroyo Parkway Past Dodger Stadium (FB/Gordon Ross). In order for a limited access divided highway to carry L.A. downtown traffic from Pasadena … that upper new southbound ribbon was built. Prior to that build, both directions flowed through the tunnel. Here’s what they had to do to create the southbound SR -11 Pasadena Frwy.
• Ħ 1912 Old National Trail Map (FB/The Desert Way with Jaylyn and John). We’re crazy about old maps, like The Automobile Club of Southern California map of 1912. Notice the names of the railroad lines. “In 1882 when the Southern Pacific Railroad began construction of the line easterly from Amboy to Needles, the names of the railroad stations were put in alphabetical order: Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Edson, Fenner, Goffs, Homer, Ibex, and Java. When Santa Fe took over the line a few years later, increased rail traffic dictated more stations and they added Siam, Hartoum, Nome, and Klondike. Some of the names were changed, too. Bristol was changed to Bombay to Bengal to Bolo; Edson was changed to Essex, and Goffs was changed to Blake then back to Goffs.” ~Mojave Desert Dictionary by Patricia A. Schoffstall, Mojave River Valley Museum, Barstow, California.
• SR-74 Ortega Hwy Lane Widening Safety Project August 2025 (Caltrans). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is alerting the public that construction contractors continue construction for the $96.1M safety and lane widening project on State Route 74 near Lake Elsinore. NIGHTLY flagging will begin the week of August 3 from 8:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. between Main Divide Truck Trail and El Cariso Springs Rd. All work is scheduled from Monday to Friday. Work will conclude early Saturday. Crews will work on excavation, retaining wall placement and various activities. Daytime work may occur in shoulder areas. Note: Work dependent on contractor receiving proper materials for each job function. These schedules can be changed or canceled at any time.
• Why Caltrans is widening a Bay Area highway that’s going to flood (SFGate). The highway stretches across Marin and Solano Counties through the colorful mosaic of marshland in the San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco. But state Route 37’s scenic roadway is vulnerable to sea level rise, which could submerge the highway as soon as 2040, and is subject to brutal bottlenecks during peak hours as commuters circulate between counties. The doomed Bay Area highway that sees over 40,000 drivers a day has a fix in the works — but not everyone agrees it’s the right one. As shovels and bulldozers from Caltrans prepare to widen Highway 37 in a $500 million project, tides continuously chip away at the road’s edge. Its western half near Novato is subject to repeated flooding, especially during king tides, while the eastern span is protected by a series of levees and dikes. ​​
• CalTrans pavement rehabilitation and shoulder widening project set to last through the fall (NewsBreak). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) continues to work on a $21.9 million dollar pavement rehabilitation and shoulder widening project. This project takes place on state route 247 this work is funded through the senate bill “The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017”. Construction signs are now placed throughout the project area as well as clearing in the shoulder areas Placement of high visibility fencing for environmental protection work operations will take place near Yucca Valley from state route 62 to Gin Road. The project is expected to begin the week of August 3rd and be completed by the fall of 202

Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)

• Chowchilla Mountain Road to Yosemite National Park. Chowchilla Mountain Road of Mariposa County is one of the oldest roadways servicing Yosemite National Park. As presently configured this fourteen-mile highway begins at California State Route 49 near Elliot Corner and terminates at the Wawona Road in Yosemite National Park.
• Success Valley Drive. Success Valley Drive is a 5.4-mile mountain highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Porterville. The roadway (assigned as Tulare County Mountain Road 160) follows the South Fork Tule River from County Route J42 northwest to California State Route 190 near Lake Success. Success Valley Drive has been present in Tulare County since the 1870s and was heavily used during the Tule River magnesite boom in the early twentieth century.
• Dantes View Road. Dantes View Road is a rural highway in Death Valley National Park located in the fold of Furnace Creek Wash. Said roadway branches south from California State Route 190 and ascends 13 miles to the namesake Dantes View at 5,575 feet above sea level. The last quarter mile of Dantes View Road carries grades of 15%. What is now Dantes View Road was largely constructed to service the Greenwater and Furnace mines during the first decade of the twentieth century.
• Monterey and Santa Cruz County Route G12. Monterey and Santa Cruz County Route G12 is a 10.54-mile highway commissioned in 1965. The corridor begins at California State Route 129 in the city of Watsonville and extends south to US Route 101 in Prunedale. Portions of the County Route are comprised of repurposed surface segments of California State Route 1 in Watsonville and Legislative Route Number 22 near Prunedale.
• Randsburg-Redrock Road. Randsburg-Redrock Road is located in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County in Fremont Valley. The corridor mostly originated in 1873 as part of the Searles Brothers stage road between Mojave and their Borax plant in Searles Valley. The remaining balance of the road east of Garlock was plotted after the opening of the Yellow Aster Mine and creation of Randsburg in 1896. Randsburg-Redrock Road begins at US Route 395 near the community of Randsburg and terminates 20.5 miles to the west at California State Route 14.
• Peterson Road (Fresno County). Peterson Road is an approximately six-mile rural highway in the Pineridge area of Fresno County. The highway is one of the oldest in the Pineridge area having been constructed in the late 1860s to service the site of Peterson Mill. This corridor was heavily impacted by the 2020 Creek Fire which caused massive amounts of property damage in the Pineridge area. As presently configured Peterson Road begins at Tollhouse Road (former California State Route 168) and extends east to Big Creek Road (Sierra National Forest Route 9).
• Bell Vista Road and State Line Road. The combined corridor of Bell Vista Road in Nye County, Nevada and State Line Road in Inyo County, California forms an approximately 27.5-mile rural Mojave Desert highway corridor. The Bell Vista Road corridor begins in the community of Pahrump and extends west to the California state line near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The State Line Road corridor continues west to California State Route 127 at Death Valley Junction. Bell Vista Road and State Line Road have become a popular path of travel in modern times due to ease of access to Death Valley National Park.
• Garlock Road and the Garlock ghost town. Garlock Road is located in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County in Fremont Valley. The corridor originated in 1873 as part of the Searles Brothers stage road between Mojave and their Borax plant in Searles Valley. The modern roadway is named for the Garlock ghost town which was a stamp mill community founded in 1896 to service ore from the Yellow Aster Mine. Garlock Road begins at Redrock-Randsburg Road and terminates 8.3 miles to the east at US Route 395.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Headlines About California Highways – July 2025 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.