NEVADA COUNTY – Caltrans is alerting State Route 20 (SR-20) motorists in Nevada County to expect intermittent traffic holds this Friday for blasting work on the Omega Curves safety improvement project.
One-way traffic control continues at multiple locations along a 14-mile stretch of highway between Conservation Road and Lowell Hill weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. with occasional Saturday work. This Friday, motorists should also expect intermittent 15-minute traffic holds between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. for blasting work in the Lowell Hill area. Travel delays of up to 45 minutes are anticipated during blasting work, and alternate routes are advised to avoid significant delays.
Blasting work is required in order to remove hard rock in areas where the highway is being constructed. Construction crews are also installing or rehabilitating drainage, performing earth work to widen sections of the roadway and preparing for major dirt fill work to begin.
Motorists are advised to expect travel delays on SR-20 through the fall months while these major improvements are under way. The schedule is subject to change due to weather, equipment or material availability, or other unexpected events.
The work is part of the $62.5 million Omega Curves project (see map), which will improve safety and reduce collisions on SR-20 by realigning curves on two non-contiguous segments near White Cloud and Lowell Hill, widening shoulders, improving the highway’s sight distance and adding designated left-turn lanes near Conservation Road and Washington Road. In addition, three turnouts will be added where slow-moving vehicles can allow motorists to safely pass while also serving as traffic-enforcement locations for the California Highway Patrol.
Granite Construction, Inc. of Sacramento is the prime contractor for the Omega Curves safety project, which is expected to be completed in fall 2023. For project updates, please visit www.OmegaCurves20.com.