DAVIS, Calif. — More than 10,000 vehicles per hour travel on Interstate 80 in Yolo County during peak commute times, which is more than 2,000 vehicles per lane per hour it was built to handle, state transportation officials say.
Now, Caltrans, the state's Department of Transportation, is looking into a pricey project to relieve traffic along the important artery that connects Sacramento and the Bay Area. Estimates for the cost of the project range from $100 million to more than $600 million.
“Free flowing traffic is what we’re looking for," said Jess Avila, the project manager.
Caltrans officials held an open house on the project at the Davis Library, answering questions and taking feedback from the public on the proposed plans.
There are several options on the table to make traveling on the 23-mile stretch of I-80 between Dixon and Sacramento more efficient and reliable.
The most affordable options including repainting lanes and adding signs to improve traffic flow. The more costly options would include building entirely new paved lanes to increase traffic flow.
Caltrans currently has more than 30 other improvement projects in the works in District 3.
State transportation officials plan to offer more of these public sessions before making any decisions. Once a final decision is made, construction could start as early as 2024, and work would likely be done in segments over three years.
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