SACRAMENTO, Calif — A major weekend closure to Interstate 80 could disrupt drivers traveling between Sacramento and San Francisco.
"We don't want to close Interstate 80. But it's like your house, if you have to take care of your house, and there's a hole in the roof, you have to... take care of it," said Vince Jacala, spokesperson for Caltrans.
The closure extends through the weekend, a full 55 hours, starting Friday at 9 p.m. Eastbound I-80 will be closed and traffic will be detoured at the eastbound I-80 and Highway 4 interchange in Hercules. The closure ends at 5 a.m. on Monday.
"Obviously, this is going to affect not only anyone traveling to the Bay Area and from the Bay Area, but also anyone from Sacramento or Davis or Vacaville traveling into the Bay Area and then coming home from the Bay Area," said Jacala.
It's important to note that the Carquinez Bridge will still be open, but eastbound drivers will have to get there in a different way. Detours include I-680 and Highway 37.
The closure is part of ongoing rehab projects for California's roadways. The closures will allow Caltrans to dig up two of the center lanes of I-80 and pour concrete for about two or three miles.
"Caltrans is doing this work, because we actually hear about Interstate 80. In this area,... it's gotten worn over time -- the traffic lanes have gotten worn over time," said Jacala.
Doing the work on the weekend actually lets them impact the fewest amount of people.
"What the traffic engineers are telling us too is that if we did this, pretty much during the week and not during the weekends, we probably have about six months of overnight closures," said Jacala.
The closures also help protect all those involved in the work.
The message from Caltrans right now is to plan ahead. If anyone is traveling between San Francisco and Sacramento, they might need to plan on taking another route.
The eastbound I-80 closures will take place the weekends of July 21, August 4, and August 18.
Work on westbound I-80 between Vallejo and Hercules is expected for the Labor Day weekend.
Detours
Eastbound I-80 Closure Detour Directions:
- From EB I-80 to SR-4 in Hercules, exit onto eastbound SB-4.
- Then continue on eastbound SR-4 to northbound I-680.
- Then continue on northbound I-680 past Benicia.
- Then re-enter eastbound I-80 in Fairfield.
Eastbound I-80 Additional Detour Options:
- I-780 remains open.
- Cummings Skyway remains open.
A map of the closure is available HERE.
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