West Sacramento freeway to close again as crews assess bridge after man killed in crash
A portion of the Capital City Freeway along Highway 50 in West Sacramento will be closed Monday night as city officials assess damage wrought to a pedestrian bridge under construction after a man crashed into it and was killed.
The California Highway Patrol earlier Monday closed all westbound lanes of the freeway just west of Jefferson Boulevard, causing traffic problems for the Monday morning commute, because of fears the West Sacramento Sycamore Trail Pedestrian Overcrossing’s structural integrity was compromised, said CHP Officer Rodney Fitzhugh, a spokesman for the CHP Woodland office.
The freeway was reopened just after 7 a.m. Monday but West Sacramento city officials sought close the freeway again overnight into Tuesday to inspect damage sustained to the bridge’s falsework, said Steve Nelson, a Caltrans District 3 spokesman.
The crash occurred after 12:11 a.m. Monday when a 2015 Nissan driver collided with the center median and the beams supporting the overcrossing, Fitzhugh said. No other cars were involved in the crash, he said.
Jefferson Boulevard on- and offramps to the freeway will be closed between 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., according to city officials. Exit ramps to south River Road and Delta Lane will also be closed, city officials said in a social media post.
A portion of Westbound US 50 in West Sac will be closed overnight for emergency repairs to damaged Sycamore Lane overpass from an early morning traffic accident. Detours in place from 11pm tonight (11/20/2023) to 3am tomorrow (11/21/2023). Check detour map for alternate details. pic.twitter.com/Y1BCDBP6zj
— West Sacramento (@cityofwestsac) November 20, 2023
Caltrans added the Fifth and W Street on-ramp to westbound Highway 50 will be closed from 10 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. Within those hours, the Interstate 5 south and northbound connectors to Highway 50 will also be closed, Caltrans added.
Traffic will be detoured to Interstate 80 via northbound Interstate 5, Nelson said. Motorists can also get onto Highway 50 from West Capitol Avenue and Industrial Boulevard, according to a graphic provided by Caltrans.
The identity of the man killed is expected to be released by the Yolo County Coroner’s Office. A 30-year-old Fair Oaks woman who was a passenger in the car suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, officials said.
No construction work was taking place at the time of the crash, and no one else was injured, officials said.