Tuesday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., State Route 41 will be shut down from Highway 46 East to State Route 33.
"It's going to be at the connection of Highway 41 and 46, and travelers won't be able to continue straight on Highway 41 to Kettleman City. They'll be asked to detour down Highway 46 before connecting back up north. That could add up to about 45 minutes of travel," said Kevin Drabinski, Caltrans District 5 Public Information Officer.
Drabinski says that the closure was originally slated for the beginning of the month; however, when Highway 166 closed due to the Gifford Fire, those plans changed.
"We wanted to make sure not to restrict any travel on Highway 46 to keep that open as a viable alternative for travelers going East-West," he says.
This closure is the latest in a series of construction projects to make safety improvements on the highway.
"It addresses that Highway 41-46 'Y'. Travelers from Paso no longer make a left-hand turn to continue going on to 41. They've got a right turn to a flyover. It's a safer transition for travelers," Drabinski explained.
For eastbound Highway 46 travelers, the construction detour will take you east and south on Highway 46, then connect you with Highway 33 or the I-5.
Michelle Yang is visiting the Central Coast from Fresno. She said she is glad that she is missing the construction by just a day.
"I was thinking it was going to be so much safer. It's going to be so much better. We have to sacrifice a little bit to get our streets and our traffic better. So I think it'll be very beneficial," she said.
