Caltrans announces nightly I-5 lane closures near Sacramento

Northbound Interstate 5 heading toward Sacramento will experience delays from roadwork planned for Memorial Day weekend. Caltrans will restrict about a 5-mile stretch to one lane starting Thursday night, with weekday work continuing through June 30. The one-lane closures begin near Mokelumne City and extend to Lambert Road south of Elk Grove. During closures, the speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour. The work is part of a $1.5 million emergency pavement repair project required to saw-cut and excavate damaged concrete sections for safety and to reduce vehicle damage. Caltrans plans overnight work to limit traffic backups. Approximately 65,000 commuters use this segment daily, and no closures are expected during the holiday weekend.

"Crews will limit a roughly 5-mile stretch of northbound I-5 to only one lane beginning Thursday night and lasting weekdays through June 30, according to a news release Thursday. The closures, part of an $1.5 million emergency pavement repair project, start near Mokelumne City, a ghost town in San Joaquin County, and stretch to Lambert Road, south of Elk Grove."

"Keaton said the road closure will start Thursday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will last through June 30, with roadwork expected on weekdays. During the expected road closures, the speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour, per Caltrans. Keaton said the project was required to repair the roadway."

""In some areas, there are 10-by-20-foot sections of concrete that need to be saw-cut and excavated," Keaton said. "This has to be done so there is less damage to vehicles going down this route and for safety.""

"Keaton said that Caltrans plans to do overnight work to avoid traffic backup during the emergency project, which targets 19 locations on an overall 20-mile stretch of I-5 north. About 65,000 commuters drive through this section of I-5 north, according to Keaton. He couldn't say how many cars are expected to drive through this section during the holiday weekend rush, but added that no road closures were expected this weekend."

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