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After two months of being closed, the section of Union Road between Hwy 156 and San Juan Hollister Road west of Hollister will reopen in mid-October. Terry Thompson, Caltrans project manager for Hwy 156, said while the agency had previously said Oct. 11, the date could change depending on how quickly the pavement takes to be ready.
“There’s a process that we have to go through to cure the concrete,” said Thompson. “That’s what they’re waiting for.”
The road was closed in mid-August to reconstruct the intersection with Hwy 156 and to make it align with the new expressway.
Along with reopening Union Road, Thompson noted other major changes around Hwy 156.
- Caltrans will shift all the traffic from Hwy 156 to two lanes of the new expressway.
- The temporary traffic signals that were installed in August on 4th Street/Business 156 and San Juan Hollister Road will be removed.
- Access to and from Union Road from San Juan Hollister Road will be closed and drivers will use the new Hwy 156.
- A new two-lane roundabout on Bixby Road will also open.
- A section of Mitchell Road will be closed for eight weeks.
Like the Union Road/156 intersection, Mitchell Road will be rebuilt to make it align with the new 156. Its closure will primarily affect eastbound drivers, who will have to take a slight detour. Drivers coming from San Juan Bautista, will need to take the new roundabout to get onto Bixby Road and then to Freitas to finally reach Mitchell Road. Coming from Hollister, drivers will take the new 156 via San Juan Bautista.
The work on Mitchell Road is expected to last two months, depending on weather conditions.
“We’re coming upon winter,” said Thompson. “So you never know. It’s all dependent upon when the rains start, because as soon as the rain starts, construction slows down. We think we’ve taken enough of the time frame into consideration. But if the rainy season starts next week, we may be delayed a little further than eight weeks.”
Steve Loupe, San Benito County’s Public Works Administrator, also gave an update on the surrounding roads. Freitas Road is halfway completed and the other half will be completed in the coming weeks. Lucy Brown Lane, Duncan Avenue, Prescott Road, and San Justo Road are under repairs and being paved.
“That whole corridor, in addition to 156, is going to be in real good shape in the next few weeks,” Loupe said.
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