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Caltrans outlines April starts, temporary closures and new entry monuments for Del Norte County
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Summary
Caltrans told the Del Norte Board it expects multiple highway projects to begin in April — including a Timbers Boulevard left-turn lane, the Elk Valley/US 199 roundabout and a Narrows rock-removal project that will require daytime closures — and presented 13-ft-by-18-ft monument renderings. The Yurok Tribe and downtown Crescent City projects using Clean California grants are underway.
Caltrans representatives updated the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors on a slate of local transportation projects and plans to install new entry monuments along state highways.
Richard Mullin, deputy district director for Caltrans in Eureka, said contracts for the Timbers Boulevard left-turn lane and for the US 199 roundabout have been awarded or recommended and are anticipated to begin construction in April. He told the board the Narrows rock-removal work will require controlled blasting and daytime closures — typically Tuesday through Thursday from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — while contractors use containment measures to prevent debris entering the river.
Julia Peterson, the Caltrans presenter, showed design renderings of two Clean California-funded monuments: a 13-foot-tall, 18-foot-wide monument planned for Highway 199 featuring three-dimensional bears, and a coastal monument for Highway 101 featuring 6-foot-long salmon sculptures intended for interactive use. ‘‘The monument’s 13 feet tall and 18 feet wide,’’ Peterson said as she described the 199 design, and noted the elk relief will project roughly six inches for durability.
Peterson also said two local Clean California grants are active: the Yurok Tribe received $5,000,000 for improvements at roughly 16 locations, and downtown Crescent City improvements are already in construction. Caltrans said outreach will be extensive ahead of any closures and that some closures could span an estimated year depending on rock conditions and contractor scheduling.
Board members and the public praised the projects for safety and tourism benefits while also raising concerns about closure timing and impacts to residents and visitors. Tamara Layton of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission described long-term local advocacy on the US 199 corridor and highlighted data that underpinned project choices.
What happens next: Caltrans said it will finalize schedules with contractors and return to the county with more detailed outreach and traffic-management plans; the board encouraged close coordination with local emergency services and tourist outreach during closures.
