COLFAX – Caltrans is alerting motorists about upcoming nightly closures of westbound Interstate 80 (I-80) between Secret Town Road and the junction with State Route 174 (SR-174) as emergency pavement repairs continue near Colfax.
The nightly closures are scheduled from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, October 16 through Thursday, October 19. Westbound I-80 is scheduled to fully reopen by 6 a.m. Friday, October 20.
Two separate detours will be in place with changeable message signs in place to alert motorists of the alternate routes.
- Passenger vehicles will be detoured west on Rollins Lake Road to SR-174 and reconnect with I-80 in Colfax.
- Large trucks, RVs and buses will be detoured west on State Route 20 to Nevada City, then head south on State Route 49 to Bell Road and reconnect with I-80 in Auburn. The truck detour will start at 7 p.m., one hour prior to the closing of I-80.
Crews are paving the section known as the “Colfax Narrows.” This corridor does not have enough room to safely repave the highway while limiting traffic to a single lane. Once work is finished, this will complete the emergency repairs within Location 1 of five emergency contracts along the Sierra I-80 corridor totaling $69.2 million (see map)
Additional work will continue to take place within Locations 2, 3, 4 and 5. The schedule is subject to change or be delayed due to weather, availability of materials or other unexpected events.
Caltrans performed an extensive field review of the I-80 corridor earlier this year and found an unprecedented amount of damage. Several areas exhibited moderate to high levels of rutting due to chain wear and required immediate repair. Five emergency contracts were executed for the repairs. The primary contractors are Teichert, Vanguard Construction, Dees Burke Engineering Constructors, Granite Construction, and Q&D Construction.
The extended lane closures will help to minimize the duration of the project, speed completion and improve workers’ safety. The climate in the area also provides a limited temperature window to perform the needed repairs.
Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.