Fix50 road work: Key Sacramento freeway connector closing overnight for 15 hours

A vital freeway connector in the heart of Sacramento will close for 15 hours Friday night as construction continues on the Fix50 project, according to Caltrans.

The connector from northbound Highway 99 to eastbound Highway 50 is scheduled to shut down at 10 p.m. Friday and reopen at 1 p.m. Saturday, officials from Caltrans District 3 said.

The work is part of the $511 million Highway 50 Multimodal Corridor Enhancement project, which is adding carpool lanes and replacing aging pavement along Highway 50 from Interstate 5 to Watt Avenue.

Motorists should plan ahead and expect delays in the area, Caltrans said.

Here is the detour suggested by Caltrans officials:

• Take the Highway 99 connector to westbound Highway 50
• Exit at 16th Street (Exit 5)
• Continue to W Street
• Turn left onto 15th Street
• Turn left onto X Street
• Take the 16th Street on-ramp to eastbound Highway 50

The project is rehabilitating pavement and adding carpool lanes between Interstate 5 and Watt Avenue.

The work zone speed limit is reduced to 55 mph, and the California Highway Patrol will be present for enforcement, Caltrans said.

Another 15-hour connector closure is scheduled for April 24-25, officials said.

Construction on the Fix50 project began in 2021 and is now expected to finish up this summer — about a year later than originally planned, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting. The project’s cost has also increased significantly, rising by nearly $100 million from earlier estimates as work stretched into a fifth year.