YUBA COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Caltrans is alerting motorists and residents that major highway construction activity is scheduled to start Monday, April 18 along a nine-mile stretch of State Highway 70 between Laurellen Road and the Yuba-Butte County line.

Over the next two years, construction crews will be working at various locations during day and nighttime hours Monday through Saturday. Motorists should allow additional travel time and may expect intermittent traffic-interfering work, especially during overnight hours.

Residents in the area may hear loud construction noise, including OSHA-required vehicle backup warning alarms. The contractor will maintain access to all driveways and cross streets during construction.

Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and that the construction zone speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph between Laurellen Road in Yuba County and East Gridley Road in Butte County, where a separate construction project is underway.

The $131 million Yuba County project will widen and pave the shoulders to 8 feet, provide a 14-foot-wide two-way left turn lane, continuous passing lanes and 6-foot-wide unpaved shoulders for slow moving farm equipment. The project will also straighten some curves to improve sight distance, improve culverts, repave the roadway and create a 20-foot clear recovery zone for errant drivers to return their vehicle safely to the roadway.

DeSilva Gates Construction of Dublin, Alameda County, is the prime contractor. Completion is targeted for December 2023. The schedule is subject to change due to weather, availability of equipment and/or materials or other construction-related issues.

Visit www.FixHighway70.com for the latest construction news and updates.

The department also will issue construction updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.