Information provided Caltrans District 5. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Another major milestone will be reached on the State Route 156 (SR 156) Improvement Project as Caltrans will be shifting all SR 156 traffic onto the newly constructed expressway lanes, just south of the existing SR 156 on the night of October 10. The anticipated date for the traffic shift is weather permitting.
On the morning of October 11, drivers traveling on eastbound SR 156 will be shifted to the new expressway lanes just east of The Alameda in San Juan Bautista. Drivers traveling on westbound SR 156 will be shifted to the new expressway lanes just west of Business 156/4th Street in Hollister. During this stage of construction, Caltrans will maintain at least one lane in each direction along the new SR 156 expressway.
Drivers should be aware of other major concurrent milestones associated with this traffic shift:
- A new roundabout will be opened at Bixby Road, which will consist of one lane in each direction during this phase in construction.
- Caltrans will be closing a small part of Mitchell Road, just north of SR 156, for approximately eight weeks.
- The bypass exit from eastbound SR 156 to 4th Street/Business 156, which has been closed since the start of the project, will be reopened.
During this transition, drivers are encouraged to slow down and pay attention to temporary road signage and portable message signs alerting travelers of the upcoming traffic changes.
The short-term closure of Mitchell Road is necessary to reconstruct the intersection of Mitchell Road, align with the new SR 156 expressway and support the conversion of the existing SR 156 into a frontage road. The existing SR 156 will be open to traffic and will be repaved under ongoing traffic control (i.e. lane closures and flagging). Traffic will be detoured via Bixby Road, and detour signs placed in advance to direct traffic between SR 156 and Mitchell Road. However, the construction team will be prioritizing and working to accelerate access onto northbound Mitchell Road from SR 156 as quickly as possible.
To support the community during these major traffic changes, Caltrans and the Council of San Benito County Governments (SBCOG) created a series of maps in English and Spanish. The detour maps are available on the SBCOG’s website: https://sanbenitocog.org/transportation-updates.
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