Caltrans to Begin Emergency Culvert Project on State Route 49 in Sonora

Tuolumne County - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin an emergency project to address deficiencies in a 150-year-old culvert beneath State Route 49 (Stockton Street) in Sonora.

The project will replace an existing culvert on the south side of the highway and upgrade drainage inlets, increasing drainage capacity and allowing the old, partially collapsed culvert under the highway to be safely decommissioned.

This project has been expedited under Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency proclamation supporting statewide El Niño preparedness efforts, including critical infrastructure improvements.

Traffic lanes on Stockton Street will shift north between Green Street and the Downtown Plaza beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, to accommodate construction. Culvert work will occur on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., but the lane shifts will remain in place at all hours. The project is expected to be completed in early December.

Motorists, pedestrians, and transit riders should be aware of the following impacts:

• All on-street parking within the project area will be closed.
• The sidewalk on the south side of the road will be closed. Pedestrians will be detoured to the north side of SR-49.
• The bus stop on the south side of SR-49 will be relocated to the front of the Bank of America at the corner of Stockton Street and Washington Street.
• Traffic patterns will be modified to accommodate construction activities.

Before construction, survey work will take place on November 5 and 6, requiring one-way traffic control from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Caltrans appreciates the public's patience and cooperation as crews complete these improvements.

Wylatti Resource Management, Inc., of Covelo, CA, will conduct this $1.2 million project.