Dual Freeway/Bridge shutdowns a perfect traffic storm

Double Bridge-Freeway shutdown to hit West Sac

By Alan Hirsch, Yolo Mobility

Seen Friday in West Sacramento at the tower bridge

Both US 50 freeway in West Sac and the Tower Bridge look to be 100% shut down for periods this coming weekend. Combine this with likely congestion on Jefferson  blvd  entrance to 50 where freeway reopens, this could be a perfect storm for residents of West Sac who may not be able to leave their neighborhoods due to cut-thru Freeway traffic congesting local streets, a detour Caltrans suggests for freeway drivers in its press releases. Caltrans press release seems unaware the Tower bridge will also be shut for a charity event both Saturday and Sunday AM until 1pm.

As reported previously here and here are reprinted Caltrans press releases reporting, east bound highway 50 freeway will be closed in West Sac from the 50-80 split at Enterprise Blvd to Jefferson Blvd. This beginning next Friday 3/14  at 9pm thru Monday, and opening only Tuesday 3/18  at 5am. This is for Caltrans pavement rehab work and is not related to widening to add the I-80 Yolo toll lane, whose construction is yet to begin. The press release seems to indicate east bound drivers can still go north on I-80 at the split to Natomas.

(note- as told to me Monday night at YoloTD meeting, US 50 shut it may yet be put back again to another weekend-—when it will conflict with Baseball season openers at Sutter Health field.)

Caltrans in those press releases has suggestion 3 lanes of freeway traffic can detour to surface street across West Sac to get to Sacramento or South Lake Tahoe. Over 75,000 cars cross the causeway each way, every day, often those peak flows are on the weekend for Tahoe trips.

Caltrans in press release did not report the parallel closure of the Tower Bridge by Sutter Health Field on West Capitol Avenue. It will be shut down both Saturday and Sunday morning 7am until 1pm for the Shamrock charity Run.  The event will put the bridge out of commission for 10 hours over two days.

In 2024 the charity event attracted 8,000 runners – when it raised  $18,000 for Triumph Cancer Foundation.  This works out to $2.25/ per runner- likely in range of  3-6% out of the total registration fees paid by runner : $26 (kids) or $86 (5k/10k)or $113 (adult half marathon) are the registration fees per runner.  . One assumes the other 95% revenue generated is going to event organizers "Shamrock Event Management, Inc". In the past the media described the event as being run by Fleet Feet, Inc which still seem to continue to be heavily involved as corporate sponsor.

300 people got cancer recovery services from this small foundation in 2022 as reported on their IRS 990

History gives a sense of what to expect in Davis & Woodland. As in past when accidents have shut the freeway east bound, people routed to I-5 in Woodland via northbound Pole Line/Road 102 from Davis and or Route 113. Drivers are advised to plan lots of extra time to get to the airport.  Yolo bus 42 schedules should be a total mess.  Amtrak is expected to provide normal service.   No doubt I-5 southbound in DT Sac will also be effected.

It is unclear who is coordinating use of public roads (e.g. Tower Bridge/hiway 50) for the public good, but Yolo County's official Congestion Management Agency is Yolo Transportation District (YoloTD). Its board is supposed to coordinate with Caltrans, who they gave over $86 million to in 2024 address I-80 causeway congestion on I-80 & US50 and cut thru traffic.  YoloTD board can be reached here by email or by leaving a voice mail comment for entire board. 530 402-2819.  (24/7). Preface your comment with "This is for YoloTD Board Chair Dawne Early and members".  . Their meeting Agenda are on its website here.