Motorists who frequent the Oakland area should brace for months-long lane closures starting early April, as Caltrans gears up for a major fuel reduction project set to wrap up by late August. According to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), both northbound State Route 13, from Interstate 580 to State Route 24, and SR-24, from I-580 to the Caldecott Tunnel, will be feeling the pinch as they clear invasive shrubbery and dead trees to curb wildfire risks.

Detailing the specifics, Caltrans revealed that the work, scheduled to take place during daytime, includes trimming trees with low-hanging limbs that allow a fire to leap into the canopy, removing dead and dying trees, and clearing shrubbery that can serve as a "fire ladder." Taking place in this will are measures to thin out densely packed tree stands. With fire seasons growing more severe, these efforts are a key part of the state's strategy to lessen the speed at which wildfires can spread.

Collaborating with local, regional, and state fire authorities, Caltrans has said it's focused on prioritizing areas in need of vegetation control. A professional forester, specialized in forest fire fuel reduction, will be prescribing every trim and removal. To ensure workers have the space needed for this operation to be carried out safely, lane closures are deemed necessary.

While acknowledging the inconvenience the lane closures will undoubtedly cause, Caltrans expressed gratitude for motorists' patience. "Caltrans workers and other motorists," said a spokesperson for Caltrans in a statement obtained by the California Department of Transportation. Signage and California Highway Patrol officers will guide drivers along the affected routes, with the advice to drive carefully and slow for the Cone Zone.