Drivers in the Sacramento region should plan for a rerouted weekend as Caltrans embarks on substantial construction projects on Interstate 5 and Interstate 80, resulting in closures and delays. According to FOX40, disruptions begin Friday night around 10 p.m. and are expected to persist through the early hours of Monday, with drivers encouraged to seek alternatives to the construction zones. Southbound I-5 at the I-80 interchange is slated for full closure from midnight Friday to early Saturday, and again from midnight Saturday to early Sunday, to facilitate the removal and installation of an overhead sign structure.
Commuters heading to the Sacramento International Airport might encounter significant bottlenecks, as portions of I-5 near the Natomas area will be intermittently closed during daytime and nighttime over the weekend. Caltrans has advised those traveling to the airport, or working there, to allocate an extra 40 minutes to their journey, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. Additionally, two lanes of southbound I-5 at the I-80 interchange will be constricted starting late Sunday night, with the potential reduction to a single lane until the early hours of Monday.
The lane closures are part of a dual effort to improve driving conditions in the area: a $24.8 million pavement repair project and a $37.7 million expansion for transition lanes on I-5. Caltrans has delineated the areas affected by the repairs as stretching from 0.2 miles south of the American River Bridge to the Sacramento River Bridge. The Roseville sector will also see its share of disruptions, with the Riverside Avenue off-ramp along westbound I-80 closing from Friday evening until Monday morning.
In response to the scheduled construction, Caltrans has provided detour options, including using Arena Boulevard for southbound I-5 travelers during full closures. For those navigating from eastbound I-80 to northbound I-5, the agency has suggested a path through Truxel Road that rejoins the northbound connector toward Redding. The speed limit has been reduced to 55 mph in construction zones, with enforcement by California Highway Patrol to ensure the safety of both motorists and workers. Caltrans has stressed the importance of these closures for effective progress on the infrastructure projects, expected to be completed by this year.
