Caltrans to begin Route 78 repairs Monday
Caltrans will begin repairs on 71 lane miles — approximately 40 travel miles -- of state Route 78 on Monday.
The $11 million project will be in two segments: westbound SR-78 from West Haverford Road in Ramona to Flora Vista Street in Escondido and eastbound from just east of Magnolia Avenue in Ramona to Wynola Road in Julian.
Work on the two segments, paid for with money from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), will take place simultaneously from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays until the project is completed in the fall, Caltrans Public Information Officer Cathryne Bruce-Johnson said in a statement.
The work will require reducing SR-78 to one lane in one-mile segments. Workers will direct alternate directions of traffic through the single open lane when safe to do so.
Motorists could be delayed up to 10 minutes at each closure point and are advised to allow 30 minutes or more additional travel time to reach their destination.
Portable rumble strips will be placed approaching the closures to alert drivers to slow. Some driveways may be temporarily blocked during paving operations.
The project includes removing the top layers of old pavement and applying an overlay of high quality rubberized asphalt that will add durability to the roadway and create a smoother ride for motorists, reported Caltrans. Chip seal will be added to portions of roadway that do not require an overlay.
Additional safety improvements feature high visibility striping and installing permanent rumble strips along the highway centerline to warn drivers if their vehicle is drifting outside of the lane.
Caltrans thanks the traveling public and community members for their patience during construction. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and Be Work Zone Alert.
The work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. Contact the Caltrans District 11 Public Information Office at 619-688-6670 with questions about the project.
Contact Bruce-Johnson at cathryne.bruce-johnson@dot.ca.gov to be added to the project stakeholder list and receive project updates by email.
Follow @SDCaltrans on Twitter at twitter.com/SDCaltrans and visit CaltransSanDiego on Facebook facebook.com/CaltransSanDiego for news related to state transportation in San Diego and Imperial counties.
SB 1 provides an ongoing funding increase of approximately $1.8 billion annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state highway system. The money will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts by 2027, the state agency reported.
For complete details on SB 1, visit rebuildingca.ca.gov/.