OROVILLE, Calif. — A 22-mile corridor of Highway 70 that's been nicknamed 'Blood Alley' is set to see major improvements beginning this month.
CalTrans announced Thursday that construction to widen the highway will begin in July to help make that stretch of the highway safer for commuters.
Fred McCrory drives more than 80 miles for work. He said the volume of traffic is more than that two-lane road can handle.
"It's just way too many cars," McCrory said. "I don't know if it's because of the Camp Fire with the trucks or just the growth of the area."
Butte County officials said there have been 42 fatalities between Marysville and Oroville since 2010.
"Approximately 17,000 vehicles a day travel through this section of highway, and there's been an increased number of truck traffic because of the debris hauling operation from the Camp Fire," explained Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, spokesperson for Caltrans.
CalTrans and the Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) are partnering on this $48.6 million project, which represents the construction of the first of six safety projects in the coming years for the Highway 70 corridor between Oroville and Marysville. This project is made possible due to funds from SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
“Highway 70 is an important artery and economic link between Butte County and the Sacramento area. It is vital that we widen this highway for the safety of motorists and residents,” said Butte County Supervisor Bill Connelly, who also serves as BCAG chairperson.
Construction for the first part of the project will be between Ophir Road and Palermo Road in Butte County, south of Oroville.
"It will be a five lane section, so there will be passing lanes as well as a dual left turn lane so vehicles can pull off the main highway and make a left turn safely onto the driveway or a side road," added Mohtes-Chan.
For more information on the 'Highway 70 Safety and Passing Lanes' project, click here.