Latest news with #Caltrans
CBS News
a day ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Placer County steps up efforts to crack down on brake fires on Interstate 80
Placer County is stepping up efforts to prevent roadside fires along the Interstate 80 corridor through the Sierra, as rising temperatures increase the risk of brake fires on big rigs descending from the summit. In response, county officials hosted a webinar Tuesday morning, bringing together the California Trucking Association, Caltrans, Cal Fire, and the California Highway Patrol to discuss prevention measures. All commercial trucks are required to inspect their brakes before making the steep descent, but officials said some drivers continue to skip that crucial step. The renewed focus on prevention comes after more than 60 fires last year were linked to failing brake systems. Ali Khalil, owner and instructor at Easy Truck Driving School in South Sacramento, said pre-trip inspections are just as important as learning to drive the rig. "It doesn't matter if you've been a trucker for a year, six months, or two days, or 15, 20, 30 years," Khalil said. "Because the outcome could be devastating." Officials said it will take a combination of driver education and roadside fuel management to reduce wildfire risk along the corridor. District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson emphasized the importance of working together in a statement, saying, "This effort is about prevention, awareness, and working together to keep our foothill and mountain towns safe." Over the past few months, the county has teamed up with Caltrans to clear dry brush and vegetation along I-80, a key step in reducing the fuel available for potential fires.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Major delays to come amid big road closures on Highway 50 in Northern California
( — Drivers in Northern California are expected to face big road closures along Highway 50 amid Father's Day weekend and beyond, according to the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans warned motorists of a scheduled 79-hour closure in effect from June 13-17 as part of the ongoing $280 million Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 50 Pavement Rehabilitation Project in Yolo County. What is No Kings Day? Delays are expected from the Yolo I-80/ US 50 split to Jefferson Boulevard and west of I-5. The closure is scheduled on a section of U.S. Highway 50 in West Sacramento from 9 p.m. Friday, June 13 until 4 a.m. Tuesday, June 17. The department urged motorists to plan, expect delays, and use the designated, signed detour routes. The closures also include an A's home game scheduled for June 16 against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park. Caltrans said fans who are coming from eastbound I-80 will stay on eastbound I-80 to southbound I-5, and back down to westbound US-50 to access the ballpark. How does ICE know who to deport? 'Please allow for additional travel time on game day,' Caltrans said. Additionally, Caltrans said to be on 'work zone alert' and to slow down in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements. The extended full highway and ramp closures for pavement replacement work will reportedly shorten the expected project completion time and improve workers' safety. According to Caltrans, the construction schedule is subject to change or be delayed by weather, availability of materials, or other unexpected events,. For real-time traffic information, travelers can visit the Caltrans QuickMap or visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Caltrans briefly closing last exit on southbound I-5 before border
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Caltrans crews are planning to temporarily close the last exit on southbound Interstate 5 before reaching the U.S.-Mexico border for construction work. The overnight closure to the Camino De La Plaza exit will begin Tuesday, June 17 at 9 p.m. and last until Wednesday, June 18 at 6 a.m. During that time, Caltrans says it will be installing a pipe in the area as part of ongoing infrastructure improvements. Signs will be posted to alert motorists to the closure. Those headed southbound but do not intend to enter Mexico at the San Ysidro Port-of-Entry will need to get off at the Via De San Ysidro Boulevard exit. Woman critically injured after being struck by vehicle in Talmadge 'Motorists who do not exit in time will be directed across the border into Mexico,' Caltrans officials say. 'Please plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and use alternate routes when possible.' A map of the detour can be found below. Per Caltrans, additional lane closures on southbound I-5 may be in place as precautionary measures to protect the workers who will be installing the pipe. See real-time road conditions on the FOX 5/KUSI Live Traffic Map The agency adds residents nearby the roadway may experience extra traffic due to the work, mostly along the detour route. Construction noise and bright lights may also impact the area. For real-time traffic information, such as road closures and traffic speeds, state officials encourage drivers to use the online QuickMap. Caltrans notes all construction work is subject to change due to weather, traffic incidents and other maintenance considerations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The number of carpool lane cheats is skyrocketing in California
If you've ever sat in traffic on a California freeway and watched drivers flying by in one of the many HOV carpool lanes, it may have left you scratching your head. Do carpool lanes actually work—and at what cost to other drivers in regular travel lanes? As it turns out, California HOV lanes need to meet specific federal standards: Cars in HOV lanes must be able to maintain a speed of at least 45 MPH during weekday travel periods at least 90 percent of the time, or they are considered 'degraded.' If you've ever seen HOV lanes stuck just like everyone else, that may be the case. Those lanes are then given a grade of 'slightly degraded,' 'very degraded,' or 'severely degraded.' Findings from the 2025 Caltrans HOV Degradation Action Plan show freeways in many areas degraded at different times of the week. One of the reasons why, perhaps: Caltrans says it is seeing large numbers of lane cheats—sneaky drivers in the wrong lane or not properly documenting how many people are in the car. It's called 'occupancy misrepresentation,' and it's a leading reason why the HOV lanes are slowing down. In fact, in District 7, which encompasses the Los Angeles metro area, findings show average occupancy violation rates have doubled since 2022, with violation rates nearing or topping 50% on some local freeways. That's right—during peak travel times, nearly half of the users are lane violators, or more. According to data reviewed by KTLA for Caltrans District 7, which oversees freeways across the Los Angeles area, high-occupancy travel lane violation rates for 2023 on the dates the research was done were: 42.4% of drivers on Interstate 405 43.5% of drivers on Interstate 5 48.6% of drivers on Interstate 10 43.3% of drivers on the 14 freeway 32.7% of drivers on the 60 freeway 44.4% of drivers on Interstate 605 But the winner is LA's legendary 101 freeway, where Caltrans data shows 57.5% of the drivers in 2023 using the HOV lanes were violators when the data was collected. Caltrans tells KTLA—perhaps not surprisingly—'During heavy traffic periods, many drivers attempt to use HOV lanes despite not meeting occupancy requirements to save time.' The data shows snapshots of specific days, and Caltrans says those numbers 'are influenced by various factors such as traffic flow, enforcement levels, and seasonal patterns.' And catching those drivers isn't easy. In HOV lanes across the state that have tolls (HOT lanes), toll operators are testing new AVOD 'automated vehicle occupancy detector' systems—but Caltrans admits visibility, window tints, and varying car lengths affect system accuracy and prevent their use with law enforcement. Those lanes include the 10/110 Expresslanes managed by Metro. Caltrans is putting a pilot program into effect to study real-time occupancy specifically at those high-violation areas. On the 10/110 Expresslanes, Metro is preparing to deploy a camera-based roadside 'Occupancy Detection System' to deter occupancy misrepresentation, what Caltrans calls a leading cause of toll evasion violations, causing increased congestion. And when it comes to those Expresslanes, just how effective are they? Caltrans itself now admits that traffic slowed down when those HOV lanes became HOT Express lanes because of all those single drivers now using the lanes. KTLA has learned 75-86 percent of the vehicles using the 10/110 Expresslanes are 'single-occupant vehicles,' according to Caltrans' own data. That means fewer passengers are in the cars which are using those carpool express lanes. Add to that, Caltrans says 30-60% of the occupancy violators on those roads aren't setting the transponder properly. Caltrans says the LA area has undergone a rapid expansion of public transit in preparation for the 2028 Olympics, and the hope is that as more commuters use public transit, average traffic speeds on HOV and HOT lanes will improve. Caltrans has also set aside $30 million to address the worst HOV lanes in the state, and only time will tell if it gets things moving even more. To read the full Caltrans reports: 2025 CA HOV Facilities Degradation Action Plan 2024 HOV Facilities Degradation Report Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Eastbound Highway 50 to close in West Sacramento over Father's Day weekend for construction
SACRAMENTO – Starting Friday night, eastbound Highway 50 in West Sacramento will be closed through Father's Day weekend for the ongoing pavement rehabilitation project. Caltrans said the eastbound closure will be from the Interstate 80 and Highway 50 split to Jefferson Boulevard from 9 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Tuesday. The closure will impact people commuting from Davis to attend the UC Davis commencement at the Golden 1 Center. The Athletics, who are out of town for the weekend, will be hosting the Houston Astros on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Sutter Health Park. Over in Sacramento, the eastbound Highway 50 ramp to southbound Highway 99 will be closed for 55 hours, from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. This is part of Caltrans' Fix50 project. Caltrans said drivers can take southbound Interstate 5 as a detour. Another option is to exit at 10th Street, turn left onto Riverside Boulevard, turn left on X Street and get onto westbound Highway 50 to merge onto southbound Highway 99. How to get around the Highway 50 closure Drivers heading east on Highway 50 will need to merge onto eastbound Interstate 80, take southbound I-5 back to eastbound Highway 50. Eastbound Highway 50 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Tuesday. Caltrans Fans heading to Sutter Health Park can take I-80 to southbound I-5 and merge onto westbound Highway 50 before taking the South River Road exit. Those attending the UC Davis commencement can exit I-5 at J Street in downtown Sacramento to arrive at the Golden 1 Center. All drivers are urged to build in additional travel time. Why is Highway 50 closing? Caltrans is working on the $280 million I-80 and Highway 50 pavement rehabilitation project. The extended closure is to help speed up the project's duration and improve workers' safety. A spokesperson for Caltrans said crews are replacing 30- to 40-year-old concrete. Among other upgrades, the project will rehabilitate ramps, upgrade existing barriers and guardrails to concrete barriers, rehabilitate bridge decks and replace overhead sign structures. Caltrans' website estimates construction will be complete in May 2026. The transportation department's Fix 50 project, which includes work from the Highway 50/I-5 interchange to Highway 50/Watt Avenue, was pushed back an entire year. It's now scheduled to be complete in July 2026.
