Commuters on U.S. 101 through Morgan Hill will gain relief from the cracks and potholes on the freeway by this fall, but until then overnight roadwork is likely to slow down traffic.
The California Department of Transportation will begin the maintenance project Wednesday, May 18, according to Caltrans spokesman Bernard Walik. The project will consist of grinding the existing concrete pavement and replacing damaged concrete slabs on U.S. 101 in Morgan Hill and San Jose.
The project is intended to replace the severely damaged broken concrete sections and resurface the existing asphalt concrete pavement on the freeway’s mainline, according to Walik. The project will also replace crash cushions, install metal beam guardrails and modify traffic loop detectors at various locations.
The work should be completed by the end of October.
Work will be performed Monday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning, and on Fridays from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following Saturday.
The project will require various freeway lane and ramp closures, but Caltrans will always provide at least one open lane in either direction of travel and never close two consecutive ramps, Walik said. Noise will be inevitable during the project, but it will be kept “within approved construction noise limits.”
Caltrans officials say the project will improve the quality of travel for motorists on U.S. 101 and extend the service life of the existing driving surface.
Signage is in place to warn and assist motorists traveling through the area, and drivers are urged to use caution while moving through the work zone.
