By Helen Barrington
Road repair work is scheduled to continue for a few more weeks on a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Colfax and the California-Nevada state line.
Caltrans announced at the end of August that “emergency” repair work was necessary to address issues resulting from vehicle chain use during last winter’s significant snows. An inspection in June revealed deep rutting and cracks in some concrete slabs — including some that had to be dug out and repoured.
The agency said at that time the goal was to complete the work quickly, as there would be a short window of good weather between the end of the busy summer and winter seasons in the Sierra.
According to Jeremy Linder, public information officer for Caltrans District 3, the road damage crews saw in a variety of locations was “unprecedented” and would be felt by the traveling public.
“Most of the motorists, especially during the summer, when they hit those areas, or if they were in the slow lane, they really noticed it,” Linder said on CapRadio’s Insight with Vicki Gonzalez. “Because their car was either shaking or they noticed their wheels were stuck in that groove and sort of forcing you to go in a certain direction.”
Where construction is being done
The work, which began around the Labor Day weekend, has continued in five locations along the 70-mile stretch of the interstate. The project includes some resurfacing on both asphalt and concrete roadways.
The project is being coordinated by Caltrans District 3, which covers 11 counties. In an emailed update this week, the agency reported that work planned to continue the week of Nov. 12 would be limited to Monday and Tuesday, due to the weather forecast.
Linder said the work was divided into five locations to allow it to take place concurrently, as Caltrans was able to engage five different contractors. This has resulted in the work at Location 1, involving asphalt paving from Colfax to Alta, to already be complete.
Repairs at Location 2, from Alta to Yuba Pass, Linder said, are on-going. Here, the necessary repairs are somewhat different. Due to this area’s elevation, the surface of the highway changes from asphalt to concrete, which is more durable with respect to chain wear.
“That’s where we’re having to do a lot more of those rut repairs,” he said, “where we’re grinding the grooves, smoothing things out and then repouring a polyester-concrete mix to patch everything up and get it smooth again.”
At Location 3, from Yuba Pass to Kingvale, the work has required some concrete slab replacements. Linder said the kind of damage identified here, near Donner Pass, makes sense.
“You’re getting to the highest point of I-80 within California, now we’re looking at an area that typically has a lot more chain controls in place for a longer duration,” he said.
The work along Location 4, from Kingvale to Truckee, experienced much the same as Location 3, Linder said, so repairs along that stretch are similar: rut repair and concrete slab replacement.
The final section, Location 5, is from Truckee to the California-Nevada state line. This final section, Linder said, has had similar work being done, but with a difference.
“The one thing that’s unique about that section is we’re actually doing a trial program — shot blasting the highway,” he said. “So, on top of the normal repairs, what the shot blasting does is basically shoot really tiny steel balls at the surface and then it allows the friction on the roadway to increase, [giving] a little more traction.”
Linder said this approach is something Caltrans typically uses in valleys, along bridge decks, and that this is the first time they’re trying it in the Sierra. He said Caltrans wants to see how — and if — this improves road conditions, as well as the lifespan of improvements being made. The agency also wants to see if this reduces spin outs and motorists losing traction as they make their way into Nevada.
How long to expect delays and where to get updates
While Linder said there are always large road repair projects undertaken during the summer months, the volume of work needed on I-80, and the increased traffic during the summer, made planning when to do this work trickier than usual.
“Everyone wants to go up to Tahoe when there’s snow, everyone wants to go to Tahoe when the lake is full,” Linder said. “So we tried to figure out what the best time frame to have as little of an impact to the traveling public as possible.”
This is why the work didn’t begin until around Labor Day. Linder said it had to begin before winter weather set in, which provided a pretty narrow window. He said getting the work done before the upcoming winter season could prevent future problems, especially with the possibility of heavy precipitation this coming winter.
And, Linder added, it’s likely this work will have to continue after this winter season.
So, how should people plan their travel around these sections of work?
“Every week is different,” Linder said, “I mean, we’re trying to tackle a lot. I’ve been updating every Friday, sending out a new traffic alert, letting everyone know what those sections are. We’re posting it to social media, to our website, as well. So it’s more just checking, making sure you know exactly what sections you might be hitting.”
But he said you can’t predict the best times to travel, as in some cases, work is being done around the clock. He added that there are some upsides to the current work: The highway isn’t shut down, but rather, lanes are reduced, and each work zone is relatively short, so delays are limited.
Linder included several pieces of advice for driving through these sections of road: “Slow down, be cautious.” And, consult the weather forecast ahead of your trip. He said it’s important to be prepared for winter conditions, including always carrying chains.
Linder said he hoped all repairs would be wrapped up by Thanksgiving.
For more information on the locations of I-80 road work, consult Caltrans’ Quick map, which can be accessed online or on a downloaded mobile phone app.
Detailed information about work the week of Nov. 12
Westbound I-80
- Location 1 - Work is complete
- Location 2 - No work anticipated this week
- Location 3 - between Kingvale and the chain off area, various lane closures in place for bump grinding from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.
- Location 4 - between Donner Lake Interchange and Castle Peak, lane closures will be in place from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13 and Tuesday, Nov. 14.
- Location 5 - between Boca and Donner Pass Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility, lane closures will be in place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.
Eastbound I-80
- Location 1 - Work is complete
- Location 2 - No work anticipated this week.
- Location 3 - between Crystal Lake and Cisco Grove, lane closures will be in place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.
- Location 4 - No work anticipated this week.
- Location 5 - between Donner Pass Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility and Boca, lane closures will be in place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13.
