California Department of Transportation
05/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/08/2026 16:05
Long Term Lane Closures Scheduled Along I-80 in Sierra Nevada
Long Term Lane Closures Scheduled Along I-80 in Sierra Nevada
Published: May 08, 2026
District: District 3 - Marysville
Sergio Aceves, District 3 Director
Contact: Jeremy Linder (530) 701-5209
Placer/Nevada County - Caltrans is alerting motorists of two long term lane closures along Interstate 80 (I-80) starting next week in the Sierra Nevada as part of a $21.35 million drainage restoration project between Drum Forebay and Troy.
Crews are scheduled to reduce eastbound I-80 to one lane near the Whitmore maintenance station from 6 a.m. Monday, May 11 to 9 a.m. Friday, May 15.
Additional work is scheduled along westbound I-80 near Rainbow Road (Exit 168). Crews will reduce the highway to two lanes in this area from 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 12 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 29.
Motorists may experience delays up to 30 minutes and are encouraged to factor in additional travel times along the I-80 Sierra corridor. Work includes a temporary traffic shift and installation of temporary concrete barriers.
The extended lane closures will help to minimize the duration of the work and improve workers' safety, while crews remove and replace the existing drainage culvert that runs under the highway.
The schedule is subject to change or be delayed due to weather, availability of materials or other unexpected events.
The purpose of this project is to rehabilitate and replace existing drainage systems to improve their functionality. This will help preserve the existing roadbed and prevent flooding. The project will also upgrade Transportation Management System (TMS) elements, and construct Maintenance Vehicle Pullouts (MVPs). Mercer-Fraser Company of Fortuna is the prime contractor and is expected to complete the project by the end of the year.
Caltrans District 3 maintains 4,385 lane miles across 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Drivers are reminded to "Be Work Zone Alert" and slow in construction zones for safety.
Construction updates are posted on X @CaltransDist3 and Facebook CaltransDistrict3. Real-time traffic is available via Caltrans QuickMap or the QuickMap app on the App Store and Google Play.
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California Department of Transportation published this content on May 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 08, 2026 at 22:05 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]