Latest news with #JimShivers
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Stretch of California highway with a bloody history to close for repairs
An infamous 20-mile stretch of Central California highway will close for five days in June for construction, according to the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans will close Highway 41 between Cholame and Reef Station from June 9-13, Caltrans said. Drivers traveling in either direction on the east-west road can detour on Highways 46 and 33 but should expect delays. Caltrans said the closure stems from construction of a new highway interchange in Cholame (San Luis Obispo County), roughly 85 miles northwest of Bakersfield. Workers will replace a previously dangerous intersection with a modern, elevated ramp to connect highways 46 and 41, said Jim Shivers, a Caltrans spokesperson. 'There will be some lengthy detours, which we have acknowledged. The flip side of that is we'll have a brand new interchange opening up soon,' Shivers said. 'It's a major upgrade, it's a major safety enhancement.' The interchange is also known as the James Dean Memorial Junction, a tourist attraction that features a cafe and sculpture in memory of the 24-year-old Hollywood movie star who died in a crash there in 1955. It was far from the only fatal crash on the treacherous roadway, which reportedly came to be known as 'Blood Alley.' The Chronicle previously reported that dozens of people had died and hundreds more had been injured near the interchange. For two decades, Caltrans has been working on the State Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project, which aims to minimize fatal accidents, improve safety and reduce congestion between Paso Robles and Cholame, according to the agency.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Deadly intersection on Hwy. 101 is closing as work on bridge moves ahead
A project to enhance safety at one of San Luis Obispo County's deadliest intersections is 'ahead of schedule,' and the currentcrossing will be closed for good on Monday as work to build a new bridge proceeds, Caltrans said in a news release. The project to build an undercrossing beneath Highway 101 at Wellsona Road near Paso Robles — where six people were killed in car crashes between 2012 and 2016 and three within the past five years — will move into its next phase early. On Monday, Caltrans will close the road median with a concrete barrier, permanently blocking traffic from crossing the highway, Caltrans District 5 Spokesman Jim Shivers told The Tribune. No official detour will be routed as 'local travelers can typically find and choose their own route and we wish not to direct traffic to a specific location,' Shivers said. In order to put the median barrier in place, alternating highway lanes will be closed in both directions in the area overnight on Sunday from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday. The Wellsona Safety Improvements project calls for building an 112-foot-long bridge on Highway 101 over the new undercrossing, just south of the existing intersection, eliminating the need for motorists to make left turns or drive straight across traffic on Highway 101. A new road will connect the undercrossing with Wellsona Road on either side of Highway 101. The $12.2 million project, which has been in the works for years and was postponed by multiple delays, is finally expected to be complete by 2026, the release notoriously deadly intersection of Wellsona Road and Highway 101 near Paso Robles. Map created with the assistance of ChatGPT.
