Major $38 million safety project to upgrade heavily-used California Gold Country highway

The project, expected to be completed by fall 2025, aims to improve safety with new barriers, roundabouts, and road enhancements.Photo byCaltrans

Caltrans has announced the start of a $38 million safety barrier project along State Route 49 (SR-49) between Lorenson Road/Florence Lane and Lone Star Road in Placer County. The project, expected to be completed by fall 2025, aims to improve safety with new barriers, roundabouts, and road enhancements.

Over the next several months, crews will install temporary concrete barriers and improve sight distance along northbound SR-49 near Lone Star Road. Temporary access points and a new drainage system will also be constructed. Motorists should anticipate lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, until mid-October.

The speed limit in the construction zone has been reduced to 55 miles per hour for the safety of workers and the public. The project is one of several recent initiatives to enhance safety along the SR-49 corridor, including ongoing work on the $12.3 million American Canyon Roundabout and the recently completed $47.4 million roadway improvement project.