Fix50 road work in Sacramento to take another year, Caltrans says
More traffic headaches are in store for drivers after Caltrans revealed that the Fix50 project's completion date has been pushed back for an entire year.
New High Occupancy Vehicle lanes and pavement fixes from the Highway 50/Interstate 5 interchange to U.S. 50/Watt Avenue – a total of 14 miles of roadwork – are the project's primary objectives.
The work was originally slated to be completed this summer. While being 85% done as of last May, Caltrans says the final expected completion date is now July 2026.
Officials say equipment, weather, and crashes are the chief reasons for the delay.
"Recently, for example, some structures for signs were needed to be installed, but they had to push back a couple of those signs because the crane that was needed was not available," said Sergio Ochoa Sanchez with Caltrans.
Ochoa Sanchez said contractors notified Caltrans "at the end of last year" that the initial timeline for the project would no longer work out. However, just a few weeks ago, Caltrans told us during a live interview that the Fix50 project could still be finished during this year's "late summer, early fall."
When asked to explain that, Ochoa Sanchez said, "We always rely on what the contractors tell us."
Ochoa Sanchez says this isn't the first time contractors have notified them last minute about construction changes.
"I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but remember that issue with the I-80 project when the traffic shift was in place and we were unaware of what was going on? It was kind of the same thing that happened," he said.
Both contractors on the Fix50 project, FlatironDragados and Reichert, had no comment on this delay and told us to speak to Caltrans. Caltrans said drivers "can be rest assured that once this project is completed, the highway is going to be amazing."
Other major roadwork projects are also in various stages of completion around Sacramento area freeways, including the Interstate 80 pavement rehabilitation project and the Yolo 80 corridor improvement project.
