Construction for the Caltrans project to replace the Highway 101 bridge over San Jose Creek is set to begin Tuesday night, while construction for the Highway 217 bridge project is expected to start next week.
While Highway 101 will remain open during construction — which will consist of the northbound and southbound bridges being demolished and replaced in separate phases — drivers can expect to encounter lane closures.
Two lanes in each direction will be closed during the overnight hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday through Friday morning, and one lane will remain open in both directions.
These closures will occur just south of Patterson Avenue and just north of the bridge as crews install protective barriers.
The Patterson Avenue onramps and offramps, and the offramp to Highway 217/Ward Memorial Boulevard will also be closed during these times
Caltrans said that on Friday, two lanes of traffic will be open in each direction of Highway 101, and one lane will remain closed.
The department added that North Highlands-based MCM Construction, Inc. is the contractor for the approximately $20 million project on Highway 101.
According to Caltrans’ website for the projects, both bridge replacement projects are addressing structural deficiencies and reactive aggregate in the concrete, which causes cracks that could compromise the structural integrity of the bridges.
The projects will also bring the bridge structures up to Caltrans standards for highway design, seismic, safety and hydraulic criteria.
In addition to addressing the structural deficiencies and reactive aggregate, the Highway 217 San Jose Creek Bridge replacement project will widen the structure to provide standard lane and shoulder widths because the existing bridge, which was built in 1963, does not meet current standards.
Caltrans will provide exact details at a later date for closures and construction for the Highway 217 project, which is scheduled to begin next week. But initial phases will include overnight highway closures as highway workers install protective barriers.
When these closures occur, signage to direct motorists through detours will be posted, with the detour for northbound Highway 217 going from Sandspit Road to Moffett Place to James Fowler Road to Fairview Avenue to Highway 101.
The southbound detour will be Highway 101 to Fairview Avenue to James Fowler Road to Moffett Place to Sandspit Road.
According to Caltrans, southbound Highway 217 will be reduced to one lane before the Sandspit Road exit following the full closure and this will remain in place for the duration of the project.
The Highway 101 San Jose Creek Bridge project is expected to be complete in June 2026, while the Highway 217 project is scheduled to finish in summer 2025, with a follow up landscaping establishment project to be complete in fall 2027.
More information on the Highway 101 San Jose Creek Bridge Replacement Project can be found on the Caltrans website here, and information on the Highway 217 San Jose Creek Bridge Replacement Project is available here.