Highway 99 back open in Sacramento as Caltrans finishes bridge fix ahead of schedule
The fix is in, and Caltrans says Highway 99 is ready to roll again.
Late Tuesday, the California Department of Transportation reopened Highway 99 in south Sacramento from the four-day “Fix 99” project, a few hours ahead of schedule.
California Highway Patrol posted video showing traffic moving on southbound lanes just after 10 p.m., and the northbound lanes shortly after.
Caltrans live traffic cameras as of 6 a.m. Wednesday showed traffic flowing smoothly between 47th Avenue and the junction with the Capital City Freeway and Highway 50.
Both directions of that stretch had been closed nonstop since 8 p.m. Friday so that crews could replace an aging bridge deck at 21st Avenue, which was initially expected to take until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
“Our goal was to replace the bridge deck in 99 hours and thanks to the dedication, hard work and tenacity of our crews working around the clock we surpassed expectations,” Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal said in a statement.
Caltrans spokeswoman Angela DaPrato credited the quick turnaround to Caltrans workers, contractors and other specialized crews coming together to repair and replace the 62-year-old span. The expedited bridge construction method, using a polyester concrete overlay, also played a role in a speedy fix, she said.
Caltrans officials said previously that replacing the bridge using more traditional methods, with work constrained to nights and weekends, could have taken about six months.
The all-at-one approach proved successful, in terms of both speed and minimizing disruption.
The CHP reported a few minor crashes, including one Monday morning at the diversion off of Highway 99 at 47th Avenue, but there didn’t appear to be any major traffic setbacks on Interstate 5 or other detours commuters had to navigate south of the city’s core. Traffic stayed relatively light around town even during morning and evening rush hour Monday and Tuesday.
“Caltrans values innovation, efficiency and partnerships,” Benipal said. “I want to thank everyone who worked on this project for thinking creatively on how to improve safety and lessen the impact to the neighboring community and the traveling public, while still building a quality structure that will safely serve motorists for decades to come.
“I also want to thank the nearby residents and businesses for their patience and understanding while we completed this work.”
Traffic during the four-day ordeal was noticeably tame as Caltrans and a coalition of municipal agencies started spreading the word weeks in advance of the “Fix 99” closure.
Officials encouraged commuters to know their alternate routes in advance and leave plenty of time to get to work. Sacramento Regional Transit offered free light rail service during the shutdown. Commuters aware of the closure and who had the option to remote work from home likely took advantage of that.
Caltrans said some minor work related to the bridge replacement will continue during overnight hours beginning Friday.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 9:38 PM.