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Sacramento commuters urged to prepare for upcoming I-5 closure
By Tony Bizjak - tbizjak@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1
Downtown-bound drivers have about six weeks, and counting, to prepare for Sacramento's commuter "C-day."
That's "C" as in closed – the expected status in late May of Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento, as the stretch of freeway undergoes extensive repairs.
"Try two routes," Caltrans' spokesman Mark Dinger said. "Check them out now. If you don't, you may be in for a rude awakening."
Dinger is playing the Paul Revere role for Caltrans, traveling daily from community group meetings to open houses to spread the word that commuting will be tough between late May and mid-July.
At a downtown meeting Monday, Dinger drew nervous laughs when he advised commuters to time how long their alternative route takes, "then add 20 minutes."
Caltrans engineers say the region is likely to see a ripple effect of congestion on most local freeways headed into downtown, and on key major streets near downtown, such as Riverside Boulevard, Stockton Boulevard, the Tower Bridge and W Street.
"If we don't get people to change their travel plans, we're all going to be in for a long wait if we want to get on the freeway," Dinger said.
Caltrans on Monday released a tentative schedule of where and when freeway closures are expected to take place.
Officials say sections of the freeway and some of its ramps downtown will be closed for 30 days, intermittently, to allow crews to rip out the decayed and leaking roadbed and put in new drainage and new concrete.
The initial closure, of northbound I-5, is set for Friday, May 30, at 8 p.m.
The freeway will be fully open during the July 4 weekend.
The tentative closure schedule will be posted along with other project information on the state's www.fixI-5.com Web site.
The state and city of Sacramento will host two open houses this week about the project and the closures.
The first is Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m., in South Sacramento, at the Evelyn Moore Community Center, 1402 Dickson St. The second is in Natomas on Friday, at 1 p.m., in the Caltrans offices at 2389 Gateway Oaks Drive.
About the writer:
- Call The Bee's Tony Bizjak, (916) 321-1059.
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BREAKDOWN
Here is the tentative schedule Caltrans has issued on the coming major fix of Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento:
Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m. - All northbound lanes of I-5 closed from the U.S. Highway 50/Capital City Freeway Interchange to L Street onramp. Two lanes of I-5 will be open from L Street to Richards Boulevard. (Q Street offramp and I and L Street onramps will remain open on northbound I-5.)
Monday, June 9 at 5 a.m.- All lanes open for five days
Friday, June 13 - All southbound lanes of I-5 closed from Richards Boulevard to U.S. Highway 50, except two lanes will remain open for traffic exiting at J Street.
Monday, June 23 at 5 a.m. - All lanes open for four days.
Thursday, June 26 at 8 p.m. - All northbound lanes of I-5 closed from the U.S. Highway 50/Capital City Freeway Interchange to L Street onramp. Two lanes of I-5 will be open from L Street to Richards Boulevard. (Q Street offramp and I and L street onramps will remain open from northbound I-5.)
Thursday, July 3 at 5 a.m. - All lanes open for six days.
Tuesday, July 8 at 8 p.m. - All southbound lanes of I-5 closed from Richards Boulevard to U.S. Highway 50, except two lanes will remain open for traffic exiting at J Street.
Tuesday, July 15 at 5 a.m. - All highway-disrupting work complete.
Source: California Department of Transportation.
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