Again? Freeway-to-Sac’s Closure Postponed – now Indefinitely
March 13, 2025
By Alan Hirsch
Below is the core of Caltrans press release issued Wednesday 3/12 at 3:28pm announcing postponement of the Eastbound 50 Freeway in West Sac closure for this weekend. They say indefinitely—but it could be forever as they may figure out how to do the pavement rehab work while keeping some of regular 3 lanes up.
But if they reschedule total closure another weekend later in March, drivers will have to contend traffic from with opening of the A’s and River cat baseball season to Sutter Health Park.
This will may push out the work… and could conflict with the schedule to begin work to widened i-80 with toll lane- which is set to begin just next month. The Toll Lane construction work - Phase I of it-- will continue into 2028.
For previous articles on evolving (potential) freeway closure, click here , here2.and here3.
Note the bike lane will also be continue thru Monday 3/17 next week- but could go longer as Caltrans notes unhelpfully “weather permitting”.
Editorial: This indefinite postponement could be due to pushbacks to Caltrans from local city council members and state representatives- after receiving calls from constituents. We will likely never know. It is strange the freeway closure was not announced or discussed during YoloTD board meetings even though Caltrans was present - only in public comment. One wonders, for example, if there will be a total west bound closure too.
The board was also not publicly told about or discuss the knife incident aboard a 42 bus out of Davis this week-- this was also raised in a public comment. Contrary to what you hear, total gaslighting of the public is not a requirement of the Brown Act.
The lack of good weather forecasts seems to be the source of some of last-minute closure postponements- at least the first one, and seems to have delayed work on the bike path across the causeway (see below). The Trump administration’s plans to defund NOAA/US weather bureau probably won’t help future similar situation involving advance scheduling of outside work
Date: Wednesday March 12, 2025, 3:28pm, 25-032
From Caltrans District 3 - Marysville, CA
Caltrans Contact: Dennis Keaton, [email protected]
CALTRANS UPDATE: This Weekend’s 79-hour Closure for Eastbound U.S. Highway 50 in Yolo County Postponed due to Weather Forecast
No Rescheduled Construction Date Available
YOLO COUNTY – Caltrans is alerting motorists that this weekend’s extended connector closure for the ongoing Yolo Interstate 80 (I-80) and U.S. Highway 50 (US-50) Pavement Rehabilitation Project has been postponed because of the weather forecast for rain and cold temperatures. The work has not been rescheduled.
YOLO I-80 to US-50 CLOSURE:
- Postponed
YOLO CAUSEWAY BICYCLE PATH CLOSURE:
- 8 p.m. Monday, March 17 through 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 18 (weather permitting)
The work zone is west of the Yolo Causeway along I-80 and US-50 in West Sacramento. The speed limit has been reduced to 55 miles per hour 24/7 for the safety of workers and motorists. Work is scheduled to begin as listed but is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather conditions, availability of equipment and/or materials, and construction-related issues.
FOR UPDATES: The Caltrans District 3 will issue updates on X @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic information, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
Seems like an example of road maintenance that can't be accomplished because the road doesn't have enough capacity (even during off-hours) to complete it.
I don't totally buy-into "induced demand", since I suspect that it shifts traffic to a 24/hour, 365 day "alternative". And already, the wee hours are when they schedule roadwork on I-80.
There's ultimately only one way to reduce demand on freeways, and that's to reign-in sprawl. And obviously, the state has no intention of doing so (despite a declining/stable population). But truth be told, sprawl in places like Reno also impacts I-80, locally.
I'd like to know more about the knife attack on line 42, and how exactly that didn't become a topic of discussion/consideration. Since I don't have access to the Davis Enterprise, I can't see what was written about it. But I already suspect it occurred when the bus was in West Sacramento or Sacramento. Am I right about that?
Posted by: Ron O | March 13, 2025 at 04:10 PM
People only buy homes on edges of region as compared to close in “infill” as it is commutable. Building Wider freeway make it possible for those longer commutes. . But you go from 25 mile to 50 mile commute that creates a need for 2x more freeway capacity feedback loop. The is how induced demand work.
State has reduced city regulatory control on building— but prop 13 still reward speculators for sitting on undeveloped land that could be developed for infill.
Posted by: Alan hirsch | March 15, 2025 at 04:01 AM
You're fighting a losing battle, Alan H.
The state doesn't actually discourage sprawl - just look around (e.g., Natomas, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, the valley between Vacaville and Fairfield . . .).
You're fighting a resulting "requirement" of sprawl. In other words, the sprawl comes first, THEN the expansion of freeways.
(When the freeways were first built, it was the other-way around.)
Regarding Proposition 13, I suppose it does allow owners of sites to "sit on" land until it's developed and sold. Especially if they bought it for a bargain price. Perhaps that's the reason that Chiles Ranch (along with the site of the former skilled nursing facility on Pole Line) have remained undeveloped.
(Per the Enterprise, the developer recently sold Chiles Ranch for $17.7 million, as I recall. I wonder how much he paid for it? (I also wonder if there's any way for him to avoid capital gains tax on it.)
Posted by: Ron O | March 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM