SAN RAMON – A partial closure of a portion of I-680 in San Ramon began Friday evening over the weekend to permit emergency crews to repair damaged sections of the highway, the California Department of Transportation said.

Two of 4 southbound lanes shall be closed from Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon to the I-580/I-680 interchange in Pleasanton until 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7. The connection stays open and isn’t affected by the development work. Two right lanes shall be opened to traffic, but Caltrans is recommending motorists take alternate routes to ease traffic congestion in San Ramon and Dublin.

Additionally, an expressway and the left shoulder of northbound I-680 shall be closed between Amador Valley Boulevard in Dublin and Alcosta Boulevard.

“Although the lanes will be open, it is best to avoid the area if possible. When entering the highway, please be aware of construction vehicles entering and exiting the construction zone and slow down toward the cone zone,” Caltrans’ closure notice said. “Caltrans recognizes that the closures will impact motorists and is taking steps to minimize inconvenience.”

The weekend closure will allow crews to rehabilitate a deteriorating section of road, increasing safety and reducing the variety of overnight closures required to finish the project. A weekend closure is similar to about 40 days of overnight closures, Caltrans said. Another partial closure of this portion of I-680 is planned for the weekend of October 18-21.

Originally published: October 5, 2024 at 10:25 am

There might be a significant highway closure within the East Bay this weekend.

Southbound I-680 between Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon and the I-580/I-680 junction in Pleasanton might be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through Monday morning for repaving work.

Full closure of I-680 this weekend

Tomorrow evening, Caltrans will close southbound I-680 between Alcosta Blvd and the I-580/I-680 junction from 9 p.m. Friday, September twentieth through 4 a.m. Monday, September twenty third for paving work. Please plan ahead and expect delays. pic.twitter.com/ZXtrk6dFGG

— CHP Dublin Area (@CHPDublin) 19 September 2024

“When the highway reopens at 4 a.m. Monday, it will provide a smooth ride for motorists,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Janis Mara.

Mara said staff would tear down the prevailing pavement, cover it with asphalt and rebar, after which pour concrete on top.

“The special thing about concrete is that it lasts for decades,” said Mara.

According to Caltrans, all secondary roads in the realm of ​​the development project might be open to motorists.

“Today’s short-term inconveniences will be a long-term benefit to drivers,” Mara said.

According to Caltrans, this weekend's full closure will complete work that will otherwise have required an estimated 40 nightly closures.

Additionally, the leftmost express lane and left shoulder on northbound I-680 between Amador Valley Boulevard in Dublin and Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon might be closed for work this weekend.

Caltrans says there may even be two additional partial weekend closures at this location between October 4 and seven and October 18 and 21.

During all closures, California Highway Patrol officers might be on site with signs to assist guide drivers.

Due to rain, any closures can be lifted and postponed.

Originally published: September 20, 2024 at 11:52 am

BIG SUR – With the total opening of Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria expected in late fall, Caltrans continues to make progress at three repair sites in Monterey County along the Big Sur coast.

Although a 17-kilometer stretch of road is closed within the repair zone, where work is being carried out seven days per week, the remainder of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast is fully open to the general public. Caltrans advises travelers to benefit from all that Big Sur has to supply: Those coming from the north can drive so far as Lime Creek, just past the Esalen Institute, and people coming from the south can drive so far as Limekiln State Park.

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Although repairs to the northernmost Dolan Point Slide – past mile 29.5 – are expected to be accomplished by early summer, it can not lead to an adjustment to the turnaround point at Lime Creek. Caltrans said material from the landslide triggered on March 8 has been faraway from top to bottom and blasting crews have removed the rocks. Double-twisted cable mesh has also been installed along the slope side. Crews are working to attach the seams of dozens of 150-foot meshes that were brought into place by helicopter. The mesh will add an extra layer of protection to the highway below the slope.

Regent's Slide — starting at mile 27.8 — was activated on March 9, in line with Caltrans, and employees began removing landslide material from above on April 30. Due to difficult conditions related to the acute slope of the terrain, it’s the last landslide to be accomplished. Repairs are expected to be accomplished by late fall, opening Highway 1 to direct traffic between Carmel and Cambria.

According to Caltrans, the repair work is complex and can eventually include removal of rock material by blasting crews. Due to the continued activity, steep slope and unstable material on the roadway, there isn’t any bicycle or pedestrian access on Highway 1 through Regent's Slide.

The southernmost Paul's Slide — from mile 22 — can also be the oldest of the three landslides. It was activated on January 14, 2023, and is scheduled to be accomplished by late summer, in line with Caltrans. Crews have begun installing 4 large culverts at the positioning, accomplished final surveys for the brand new roadway, and begun installing base material within the northern section of the repair. Crews proceed to watch and address landslide activity above the repairs. Once the repairs are complete, the present turnaround point at Limekiln State Park shall be moved north, providing direct access to the Camaldoli Hermitage and the community of Lucia.

Road information and updates will also be found on Caltrans District 5's social media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5), and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

BIG SUR – Caltrans reports crews are working two 12-hour shifts to finish the primary phase of stabilizing Highway 1 on the Rocky Creek exit, with the goal of providing one-way traffic access to Big Sur in late May .

A serious development for Caltrans this week was the power to erect a lightweight pole on an adjoining ledge that led to the March 30 roadway slide that destroyed a big portion of the southbound portion of Highway 1 just past Rocky Creek Bridge near Big Sur.

“Tonight will likely be our first night shift where we will work across the clock, so to talk, to actually do our greatest to maneuver forward to the day when we will open this road to signal traffic. said Kevin Drabinski, Caltrans spokesman, at Wednesday's briefing in Monterey County.

Late last week, Caltrans announced that it expects to finish the primary phase of stabilization efforts by Monday, May 27.

“So this is an important milestone because it means we no longer have to drive convoys and can create open access through the diversion area around the clock,” said Drabinski.

Caltrans operates twice-daily convoys from the Big Sur region for locals and essential employees only.

This week, Caltrans crews accomplished the installation of vertical rock dowels on the western fringe of the roadway on the slip, which will likely be followed by the installation of horizontal rock dowels. The vertical and horizontal dowels in addition to rock anchors and shotcrete sprayed over the webbing help distribute the load and stabilize the sting of the road.

“It's rare that we work at night… What's even more amazing is that this work involves a huge crane crossing the northbound roadway and then being able to reach out a basket of workers and machinery to make these repairs,” Drabinski said .

Zeke DeLlamas, Caltrans emergency manager, said Caltrans work just isn’t typically seen in the course of the night, especially in terms of slides across the roadway.

“That has always been our policy,” he said. “Attempting to do a slide rehabilitation is very dangerous, but in this situation they were able to use the crane and horizontal drill to illuminate this area well and our subcontractor is easily coping with the work in two 12-hour shifts.”

DeLlamas said Caltrans and its partners are working across the clock to expedite this repair as much as possible.

“The signaling system will be activated once the temporary repairs are completed,” DeLlamas said.

In terms of permanently restoring the roadway, DeLlamas said there will likely be a subgrade study in the approaching weeks, a key component in designing a structural solution, to find out what size of support will ultimately be used.

He said that “all signs point to a viaduct” – a bridge often supported by arches and carrying a road across an open space – which is probably the most viable solution and can likely be a three-span structure, but the ultimate decision remains to be pending canceled the second phase of repair work on Highway 1 on the Rocky Creek exit.