SACRAMENTO, Calif — 10:45 p.m. update:
All lanes of Highway 99 have reopened after a multi-day closure by Caltrans to replace a bridge in just 99 hours.
10:30 p.m. update:
Southbound lanes of Highway 99 have reopened from 47th Avenue to the US-50 connector, according to Caltrans District 3.
The northbound lanes of Highway 99 are expected to reopen around midnight, Caltrans said in a tweet Tuesday night.
The California Highway Patrol South Sacramento says the southbound lanes reopened six hours ahead of schedule.
9 p.m. update:
Caltrans spokesperson Angela DePrato confirmed that Highway 99 from 47th Avenue to US-50 will be reopening around midnight, ahead of schedule.
Originally, penciled in for 4 a.m. on Wednesday, DePrato said crews were able to hustle and ultimately ran into no construction issues in the latter part of the evening.
Original Story:
Major progress is being made on Highway 99 as Caltrans continues its work replacing a bridge in just 99 hours.
The project has closed a portion of the highway from 47th Avenue to the US-50 interchanged for nearly four days, but Caltrans says it is on track to reopen as promised by 4 a.m. Wednesday, June 16.
“We are on schedule," Angela DaPrato, Caltrans spokesperson, said. "We're very excited. Crews are currently doing the polyester overlay over the concrete deck."
DaPrato said the southbound side of highway is actually already complete.
"We're really making a lot of progress this morning," DePrato said. "We have a lot of freight coming through, a lot of high traffic volumes. So we're doing this preventative project right now to make sure that it's going to be ready to go for years to come.”
The bridge that Caltrans is replacing is roughly 62-years-old. Construction crews are using innovative accelerated bridge construction techniques to complete the work as quickly as possible.
It's a project that, in the past, could have taken much longer.
“At the earliest it, would have taken six months, a year or even two years with extended weekend closures,” DaPrato said. “That's a real inconvenience for a lot of local businesses, motorists and residents in this area.”
Caltrans says the goal is to open all lanes at 4 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, still they ask for patience when that time comes.
“We’re coordinating with CHP," DaPrato said. "They've been a great partner with us on working with the closures, making sure to monitor traffic, making sure things aren't getting too high traffic volumes in certain areas. We’re going to make sure everything is safely done.”
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