Business 80/Capital City Freeway: WX Freeway Rebuild

[mrsman]

I just thought of another problem with having two 80's in the same state, it's contrary to Caltrans practice.

It's a state law that there should be no two highways with the same number in California.  Thus, because of the introduction of I-80, I-40, and I-10, California had to decommission US 80, US 40, and CA-10 got renumbered.

Furthermore, because of this law, you can have two alternative designations for the same highway, so long as they have the same number.  Thus, as mentioned upthread, you can have a 110 corridor that has I-110 to designate the Interstate compliant portion and CA-110 to designate the non-Interstate compliant portions (Arroyo Seco Parkway and Gaffey St in San Pedro).  This dual status exists in other areas of California as well:  I-15 and CA-15 (the former 40th Street corridor needs AASHTO approval for interstate designation San Diego), I-210 and CA-210 (East of CA-57 has not yet been approved for Interstate designation by AASHTO).  We also used to have I-215 and CA-215, but when the expressway between Riverside and Temecula became a full freeway CA-215 became I-215.

So we see a green 110 and a red/white/blue 110 as being two different parts of the same corridor.  But for I-80, the green 80 is not an extension of 80, it is a separate corridor from 80.  The designation of green 80 is just simply not helpful.

[NE2]

It's a state law that there should be no two highways with the same number in California.

Not really. It's just common practice that is overridden by the legislature in this case:

351.1.  Notwithstanding Section 640, Route 51 shall be signed Interstate Business Loop 80.

[ZLoth]

IIRC, a Business routing is a courtesy routing, not a official routing. If you go to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, you will see the traffic incidents referred to as US-50 and CA-51, not Business 80, even though there is not one CA-51 highway marker on that route.

[kkt]

It's a state law that there should be no two highways with the same number in California.

Not really. It's just common practice that is overridden by the legislature in this case:

351.1.  Notwithstanding Section 640, Route 51 shall be signed Interstate Business Loop 80.

What's section 640?  I'm not finding it in Findlaw, though I did find sections before and after it.

[NE2]

What's section 640?  I'm not finding it in Findlaw, though I did find sections before and after it.

Looks to have been repealed at some point.

640. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article that the numbering of the state highway system be simplified and clarified and that signs placed on highways indicating the numbers thereof designate only one number for each highway wherever feasible. Therefore, the department is directed to take all steps necessary to conform signs designating numbers on the state highway system to the numbers given the routes in this article at the earliest practical time. The department is also directed to use the numbers in this article in designating numbers on highways in the future.
The Legislature recognizes that signs on certain routes on the federal interstate highway system in California should designate both U.S. sign numbers and the interstate numbers until such highways are substantially constructed to interstate standards, or until a later time if the department finds it necessary to properly guide motorists. Therefore, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the department is directed, on any interstate highway it determines to be appropriate, to place or maintain the proper U.S. number thereon, together with the interstate number on the completed portions thereof, until the highway is substantially constructed to interstate standards, or until a later time if the department finds it necessary to properly guide motorists.
The legislature further recognizes that there are instances where one route of travel must coincide with another route of travel, and when this occurs for relatively short distances and notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Department of Public Works is directed to place signs indicating two or more appropriate route numbers on the same highway where it determines that such is desirable to properly guide motorists.

[bing101]

http://fix50.com/project-map-schedule

http://fix50.com/alternate-routes

Stage 1: May 2 — 22, 2014: Eastbound Highway 50

   
• Two-way traffic will share the westbound lanes (3 lanes WB, 2 lanes EB)
• Ramp Closures:
  
        
  • 11th Street On-Ramp
  • 16th Street On-Ramp
  • Southbound Highway 99 connector ramp from eastbound Highway 50
  • Eastbound Business 80 connector ramp from eastbound Highway 50

Stage 2: May 28 — June 17, 2014 Westbound Highway 50

   
• Two-way traffic will share the eastbound lanes (3 lanes EB, 2 lanes WB)
• Ramp Closures:
  
        
  • 16th Street Off-Ramp
  • 10th Street Off-Ramp
  • Connector Ramp from westbound Business 80 to westbound Highway 50
  • Connector Ramp from northbound Highwat 99 to westbound Highway 50

Downtown Sacramento Area Hospitals Map
Traffic Cameras
                      

           

   

[andy3175]

Thanks Bing. There is already a thread on this topic:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9426.0

Thanks,
Andy

[ZLoth]

From CBS News 10-Sacramento, CA: West Sacramento City Leaders Worried About Crunch From Viaduct Work

[ZLoth]

From Sacramento Bee:

Will Sacramento freeway closures cause a "˜Carmageddon'?

Is Sacramento about to face a "Carmageddon"  of clogged freeways and gridlocked surface streets this spring?

That's the rising fear among some local leaders who say the state Department of Transportation is not giving them enough information on its plans for a series of lane closures on several central Sacramento freeways in May and June.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[TheStranger]

New Sacramento Bee article on CalTrans adjusting its work schedule to try to have as few lanes closed as possible at any one time during the project:

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/27/6273204/caltrans-alters-w-x-freeway-project.html

[ZLoth]

Two more days until the two months of headaches begin.

[ZLoth]

And the lane closures have begun.

[jrouse]

As the morning commute comes to a close on Day 1, here is a brief summary:

Eastbound Business 80/US-50 was congested most of the morning, as one would expect, with the backup extending into West Sacramento as far as the junction with I-80.

Many people decided to use the two other river crossings - the Tower Bridge, and the I Street Bridge, resulting in delays on those bridges and the surface streets approaching them.  I noticed that many people who used the I Street Bridge turned north onto Jibboom Street, which feeds into Richards Blvd, and then headed down 7th or 12th Streets to get downtown.

Northbound 5 performed surprising well approaching US-50.  No delays on the NB 5 - EB 50 connector at all.  I did notice a bit more traffic at the J Street offramp.

I also noticed slightly more traffic on Business 80 and CA-160 as I headed into downtown this morning.  I did see by looking at the traffic maps that both of those routes did get busier as the morning progressed.

Sacramento Regional Transit is reporting that several parking lots at the Gold Line light rail stations are full.

It will be very interesting to see how things go this afternoon.

(For the record, I carpool.  I work at Caltrans HQ at 12th and N.  My carpooler works at 1 Capitol Mall in Old Sacramento.  We get on westbound Business 80 at Watt Avenue, then take CA-160 to Richards to Jibboom to I Street, then down 3rd to L to Capitol Mall.  I then circle back to 3rd to Q to the Caltrans parking lot at 12th and Q.)

[ZLoth]

From Sacramento Bee:

Neighbors irate over Fix50 copter noise: It's like 'Apocalypse Now!'

Residents near the Fix50 project site complain they suddenly feel like they're living in a war zone. But it's not swarming car traffic that's bothering them.

It's news helicopters.

In their zeal to get the word out about road conditions, local news media crews have taken to the skies above downtown neighborhoods the last two mornings, some as early as 5:30 a.m., circling above houses and apartments –and giving residents an unwanted early wake-up alarm.

FULL ARTICLE HERE (Disable Javascript before clicking on link)

[ZLoth]

From KCRA:

Truck hits two-by-four at Fix 50 site; 3 workers injured

Three workers at the Fix 50 construction zone were injured when a tractor-trailer hit a two-by-four that was being moved in the area, California Highway Patrol officials said.

A worker was moving the 20-foot-long piece of lumber in the construction zone on the W/X Freeway about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The driver of the tractor-trailer unknowingly hit the two-by-four when it was extended into traffic, resulting in the wreck, according to the CHP.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[bing101]

Dang I hope Cap City freeway does not end up like the fall out of the Bay Bridge in the Bay Area.

[andy3175]

I found some live streaming of traffic cameras in and around the "Fix 50" area of the WX (Business 80) on the City of Sacramento webpage: http://portal.cityofsacramento.org/Fix50.

[ZLoth]

From Sacramento Bee:

Back-seat Driver: Why is the W-X freeway there?

The W-X portion of Highway 50 downtown is an old workhorse getting its first major repair job this month. But when and why was the massive elevated freeway built in the first place?

That question takes us back to 1950s Sacramento, a town with a traffic problem. There was one signature entrance to the city from the west, the Tower Bridge. Traffic on the bridge had doubled in the decade, giving Sacramento a reputation as one of the hardest cities in the state to drive through. One writer in The Bee bemoaned the plight of out-of-town drivers who found themselves stuck in a "monstrous, smog belching serpent."

"It is reaching the saturation point,"  City Councilman John O. Bronson told colleagues in 1959. "We must have another entrance to Sacramento."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[ZLoth]

From Sacramento Bee:

Fix50 gears back up: Westbound closures start Tuesday

While Brandon has been dealing with noise from the ongoing project, including some night lane closures, commuters have benefited from the lack of daytime closures since crews finished repaving the eastbound lanes two weeks ago.

That break is now over. Tonight, state Transportation Department contractor Myers & Sons will begin blocking several lanes on the westbound side of the elevated freeway for what officials say could be the most intrusive phase so far of the two-month-long project.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[ZLoth]

From Sacramento Bee:

Latest Fix50 closures are more disruptive

Day one of westbound closures on the state's Fix50 freeway project Tuesday proved to be the most disruptive to date, causing half-hour delays for many, sending some commuters scurrying for alternate routes, causing some to clock in late to work and leaving more than a few asking:

Is this what it is going to be like for the next month?

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[mrsman]

From Sacramento Bee:

Latest Fix50 closures are more disruptive

Day one of westbound closures on the state's Fix50 freeway project Tuesday proved to be the most disruptive to date, causing half-hour delays for many, sending some commuters scurrying for alternate routes, causing some to clock in late to work and leaving more than a few asking:

Is this what it is going to be like for the next month?

FULL ARTICLE HERE

I think most people knew that the westbound closures were going to be worse than the eastbound.  When I lived in the area, I always thought it was interesting how so much of the development pattern of Sacramento tended to follow the I-80 east, US 50 east, and CA-99/I-5 south corridors and very little build up in the other directions.  (In other cities that I'm familiar with, Downtown was the commuting center, unless it was up against an impenetrable boundary like an ocean.)  So only a relatively few people commute to Sacramento from Davis, as compared with those coming in from Roseville and Folsom.  For the Folsom crowd, the eastbound closures meant that they would have to meander a little more in Downtown before reaching the on-ramp at 27th and X and then it's smooth sailing.  The westbound closures, though will affect your entire morning commute.

I

[TheStranger]

I think most people knew that the westbound closures were going to be worse than the eastbound.  When I lived in the area, I always thought it was interesting how so much of the development pattern of Sacramento tended to follow the I-80 east, US 50 east, and CA-99/I-5 south corridors and very little build up in the other directions.  (In other cities that I'm familiar with, Downtown was the commuting center, unless it was up against an impenetrable boundary like an ocean.)  So only a relatively few people commute to Sacramento from Davis, as compared with those coming in from Roseville and Folsom.  For the Folsom crowd, the eastbound closures meant that they would have to meander a little more in Downtown before reaching the on-ramp at 27th and X and then it's smooth sailing.  The westbound closures, though will affect your entire morning commute.

Davis and Woodland each being west of the Yolo Bypass flood control channel (where there is zero development) probably accounts for why there is little commute traffic from that portion of Yolo County into Sacramento.  (Also explains why the transit options from those areas to Sacramento are limited compared to Elk Grove/Roseville, the two largest suburbs)

[bing101]

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/07/09/caltrans-to-inspect-fix-50-for-glare-and-lane-confusion/

Caltrans To Inspect FIX 50 For Glare and Lane Confusion

Well When I drive US-50/I-305/Business80/WX-Fwy/West Cap City Freeway
I can't see the lanes that well because of the sunlight in the way and the concrete and Paint are close to the same color in the afternoon.

[roadfro]

I couldn't tell, and don't remember from my own travels, but are there Botts Dotts on that stretch?

[myosh_tino]

I couldn't tell, and don't remember from my own travels, but are there Botts Dotts on that stretch?

Yes.  I drove that stretch of Bus 80/US 50 last week on a trip to the Red Hawk Casino.