Angels Camp businesses and residents press Caltrans over stalled Main Street reconstruction

Caltrans briefed the Angels Camp City Council Oct. 21 on a two‑mile “Complete Streets” reconstruction of Main Street (post mile 7.4 to 9.5) that the agency said was awarded in 2025 and began construction in August but will not resume major work until spring 2026 after crews discovered unexpected underground utility conflicts during excavation.

The project, Caltrans told the council, includes new sidewalks, curb ramps, bike lanes, upgraded crosswalks, street lighting and drainage work along the stretch from Burner Hill (near the high school area) to Pine Street. Caltrans staff said the job was awarded to a contractor in 2025 for about $7,000,000 and is scoped for roughly 200 working days; the agency said it is revising plans after excavation exposed multiple conflicts with existing water and sewer laterals and that crews will winterize sections until weather allows resumption of construction.

Why this matters: Council members and scores of members of the public said the temporary traffic pattern, delineators and narrowed driveway approaches have created safety problems for pedestrians, schoolchildren and drivers and are already reducing customer traffic at downtown businesses. Several business owners described sharp drops in sales and asked the city and Caltrans to reopen lanes or otherwise change the temporary configuration while the project is on pause.

Project scope and schedule Caltrans said the work covers roughly a two‑mile segment (post miles 7.4–9.5), includes reconstructing sidewalks and curb ramps, adding landscaping buffers, improving crosswalks…