Gilroy
– Caltrans on Monday began a maintenance project on U.S. Highway
101 that will result in closed lanes and ramps over the next 90
days between here and Morgan Hill, according to the California
Highway Patrol.
Gilroy – Caltrans on Monday began a maintenance project on U.S. Highway 101 that will result in closed lanes and ramps over the next 90 days between here and Morgan Hill, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Caltrans, however, has been quiet about the project. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Chairman and county Supervisor Don Gage was unaware of it Tuesday, as were his transportation aide, Edwin Chan, and CHP Hollister-Gilroy spokesperson Terry Mayes.
How much the project will impact traffic is unknown. Mayes was able to reach Caltrans spokesperson Brigetta Smith, who reportedly said Caltrans plans to leave at least one 101 lane open throughout the construction period, except for one night, when they expect to close the freeway completely. Mayes said Smith did not yet know what night the full closure would fall upon.
Caltrans’ Web site reports no planned full closures of 101 but does mention that, at 7pm Monday, it closed all the on- and off-ramps at the Monterey Street exit in Gilroy and the Cochrane Road exit in Morgan Hill. The connector from Leavesley Road to southbound 101 was also closed.
The ramps will reopen at 7am Thursday, the Web site says. Meanwhile, detour signs are diverting traffic through Gilroy and Morgan Hill streets.
The Monterey on-ramps are closed for paving. The other ramps are closed for crack sealing.
According to Mayes, Smith said Caltrans will eventually be
grinding the pavement on 101 lanes and closing other 101 ramps in Gilroy as well.
Caltrans road-maintenance contracts are typically for 90 days, Mayes said.
Smith could not be reached
for comment, despite repeated attempts.
Gage – who said he’d look into the planned closures – has trumpeted the need for more road maintenance before, such as at a June 11 transportation forum at Gilroy’s Strand Theatre. Therefore, he had a generally positive reaction when informed of the Caltrans project.
“We want them to do it, so maybe it’s good that they’re getting around to doing it,” Gage said. “That slow lane going through Morgan Hill is just all beat up. … You go all the way up, and you’ll knock your tires out of line, especially around Cochrane.”
According to Gage, “The state has millions of dollars in roadwork it’s deferred, so it’s gotten pretty bad.”
