Traffic was slow around the area of the big Fix 50 project in Sacramento, which is now in its second day. Monday, there were major slowdowns especially in West Sacramento. CapRadio's Bob Moffitt is again covering the commute this morning.
9 A.M.
8 A.M.
Steve Milne: Where are you now?
Bob Moffitt: Back up on O St. overpass over I-5 where I have a wonderful viewpoint of eastbound 50 over the traffic as it is moving over the bridge into Sacramento. Backup starts on I-5. Certainly better than yesterday when traffic was backed up to Jefferson and even Harbor Blvd. on the eastbound side. Traffic cams people were coming in through 12th street off of 160. A lot of traffic on J Street also and J and 3rd off of I-5, so people are dispersing and traffic is significantly improved from yesterday.
Steve Milne: What’s the overall feeling of how things went yesterday.
Bob Moffitt: There weren’t any plans to change anything that happened, or that was done yesterday. Just to get the word out and make sure people understand what the congestion parts were and try to take a different way in.
7 A.M.
Steve Milne: Where are you now?
Bob Moffitt: I just came from the side of the projec tunder 3rd St. and U.S. 50 and I'm seeing a lot of vehicles getting of X Street and taking surface streets into their work. There's just a lot fewer vehicles on the road taking eastbound 50 and as a result, even though we're about an hour away from when we had slowdown of 20 mph, 35 mph something like that, we're not seeing as much backup like we were yesterday, and we're not seeing the backup like we did yesterday and we're not seeing speeds diminishing as much as they were, as early as they were yesterday.
6 A.M.
Steve Milne: Where are you and what are you seeing?
Bob Moffitt: Well, I'm in my perch where I was yesterday betwen Embassy Suites and U.S. 50, traffic was actually heavier about 5:15, 5:20, it looked like more people were trying to get through the project without having a delay, but the delays have begun. Brake lights and vehicles were now stopping just as they pass over I-5. We have not any back up into West Sacramento yet. If history holds as it did yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon the delays reached Harbor Blvd.
Steve Milne: You were out talking to commuters yesterday. Did people tell you they were choosing alternate routes or alter their plans to adapt to the construction.
Bob Moffitt: There were some who rode their bicycles for the first time to work. There were some who were taking Tower Bridge for the first time and were considering taking a different route this mornig, but they weren't sure. Really the traffic at Tower Bridge was not too bad, if you've been to in a big city in the morning in San Francisco. Tower Bridge traffic was actually pleasant yesterday but compared to what it normally is, it was busier than usual.
5 A.M.
Traffic is already slowing Wednesday morning around the "Fix 50" construction zone. It's day 2 of the project, which involves repairing the deck of the W/X section of highway 50. Caltrans has closed some eastbound lanes.
Many commuters say they're changing their routes or allowing for extra time due to the project. Greg Margetich commutes from Gold River to the Capitol Mall.
"Yeah, I do think, definitely it was lighter traffic. probably people taking surface streets and lighter routes," says Margetich.
But others have been caught off guard -- like Yuqin Hu, who drove into Sacramento from her home in West Sacramento.
"I didnt think about it," she says. "Today when I drive, I got on the highway and I almost stopped, so I was surprised,"
Other commuters CapRadio talked with said they rode a bike or took public transit.
Take a look at how some commuters fared yesterday morning:
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