Get ready for a heavy dose of gridlock if you're heading through Sacramento this weekend. Caltrans has announced a total shutdown of a key segment of westbound Interstate 80, from the I-5/I-80 interchange in Sacramento County to the U.S. Highway 50/I-80 interchange in West Sacramento. According to FOX40, the closure will start at 9 p.m. tonight and it won’t end until 4 a.m. Monday, totalling 55 hours of potential traffic headaches.
This isn't your ordinary roadwork. The closure is part a massive $280 million pavement rehabilitation project, which is partially funded by $47 million from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. Bay Area travelers and those heading to Sacramento International Airport especially need to take note. Caltrans is advising Bay Area-bound folks to sidestep the construction zone entirely and suggesting those catching flights to budget an additional 30 to 40 minutes of travel time due to the detours. This advice was echoed by ABC10, who obtained the detour details.
So what are the alternative routes? From westbound I-80: you'll be redirected to take southbound I-5, then on to westbound Highway 50, and circle back to I-80. And it doesn't end with weekend—nightly closures will happen from September 8 to September 18 between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., and even later on weekends, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. For those navigating local roads, West Sacramento drivers are directed to use Harbor Boulevard and West Capitol Avenue as workarounds to reconnect to the interstate or Highway 50.
Be mindful that the I-80 and Highway 50 connector ramps will also be shut down, including the northbound I-5 to westbound I-80 connector, and the westbound I-80 to Highway 50 connector. As reported by ABC10, these closures are comprehensive and aimed at facilitating demolition and paving operations. Pay attention to the travel alerts and signs, and remember that Caltrans has a charged plea to motorists: "Be Work Zone Alert."
