WILLITS, 9/27/18 — Get ready for a bit more traffic in Willits for the next couple weeks, as the work on the the relinquishment of Main St. (from CalTrans back to the City of Willits) enters its final and most disruptive phase. Beginning Monday Oct. 1, CalTrans will be repaving Main St. during the days, for several days, with work starting at about 9 a.m. This work will mean one way traffic control, with a pilot car, on Main St.
The paving work is expected to be completed Oct. 15, with the next phase being “striping” which is expected to be done by Nov. 1. Work will also be continuing on the new junction between Sherwood Rd. and Main St.
All this work is being done as part of the project to bring Willits Main St., which was formally part of U.S. Route 101, up to snuff, and ready to be returned to the ownership, control and responsibility of the City of Willits. The street has been controlled by the various incarnations of the California Department of Transportation since the early part of last century.
At the end of all this work Willits will have a gleaming, brand new, freshly painted Main Street, with upgraded sidewalks.
Here is the full press release from CalTrans:
WILLITS REHABILITATION AND RELINQUISHMENT OF OLD HIGHWAY 101
The prep work for paving Main Street will begin on Wednesday, September 19th. The hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weeknights, the work is expected to last for seven days, finishing on Friday, September 28th. This is one of the final phases of the Willits Relinquishment project. The Willits Rehabilitation and Relinquishment of Old Highway 101 project will bring the road into a state of good repair and then turn it over the City of Willits and the County of Mendocino.
The paving portion of this project will start on Monday, October 1st. The paving work will take place in 12-hour shifts, typically from 9 a.m. to midnight weekdays. Due to the temperature requirements for the new asphalt this work will be done during the day. The asphalt needs 50 degrees and rising temperatures to set up correctly so the 12-hour shifts may have to adjust accordingly. The daytime work will start as late as possible, depending on the temperature, to help avoid early morning school and work traffic. The paving work is expected to finish on October 15.
During both construction periods, night and daytime work, motorists can expect one-way traffic control with a pilot car. Some side streets maybe closed but detours will be available. The work will be taking place from Sherwood Road to the Highway 20 intersection. Motorist should plan for up to 15-minute delays.
Striping is the final step of the paving project and is expected to take two weeks. The target completion date is November 1st. All timelines are dependent on any weather delays and other unknown issues that can occur with any construction project.
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