A full closure of Highway 41 to Highway 33 will be in effect from Monday, June 9 until Friday, June 13, due to roadwork near the interchange between highways 41 and 46.
“We have been working for the past year and a half on building a brand new interchange," said Caltrans spokesperson Jim Shivers. "This new interchange will include a new flyover ramp, which will allow travelers to no longer have to deal with turning left in front of the main traffic, which has been the case at that location for many years.”
The flyover ramp will be a transition ramp extending from the 46 East to northbound 41.
People commuting to and from the Central Valley will have to utilize Highway 33 as a detour during the closure. Delays could last up to an hour and a half.
The interchange project is part of widening efforts in the Cholame area.
Work to widen Highway 46 east from Paso Robles has been in the works for almost 20 years.
“We've been kind of systematically widening five-mile sections from Paso Robles through the Whitley Gardens area through the Shandon area," Shivers said. "And now we're out to the Cholame area and eventually will continue to work up the Antelope Grade.”
Shivers says that Caltrans District 6 in the valley has already widened Highway 46 East from Interstate 5 to a point just east of the Antelope Grade, where they would connect as part of a four-lane divided highway.
The highway widening is meant to increase safety and decrease collisions.
“More transportation space, additional passing lanes and increased access to and from Highway 46,” Shivers said.
