Nine miles of Highway 99 south of Turlock will get wider. What to expect in work zone
Work has started on another Highway 99 widening — nine miles of southbound lanes between the Turlock and Livingston areas.
The project will add a third lane from the Stanislaus/Merced county line to Hammatt Avenue by fall 2023, the California Department of Transportation said in a news release.
It starts just as Caltrans completes the $36.7 million widening of the northbound lanes in the same stretch, public information officer Skip Allum said by email Friday.
The southbound side will be widened via a $41 million contract with Security Paving of Westlake Village, Los Angeles County.
The project will require lane, shoulder and ramp closures at times and a reduced speed limit throughout the construction zone.
Stanislaus County’s portion of 99 already has three lanes in each direction, along with an auxiliary lane between some interchanges. Merced County still has two lanes in places.
About 77,000 vehicles travel this stretch in an average day, about a quarter of them large trucks, the release said.
“This project will benefit commuters, local traffic and of course Merced County’s important farming communities,” said Dennis Agar, director of Caltrans District 10. “Upon completion, trucks carrying Central Valley goods such as almonds, grapes, dairy and tomatoes will move more efficiently throughout the state.”
The funding for both widening projects is entirely from state rather than local or federal sources.
Drivers can get updates at www.dot.ca.gov/d10 or on Twitter via @CaltransDist10.
