Highway 46 lane closure scheduled this week
Travelers to encounter delays Monday and Tuesday
Travelers to encounter delays Monday and Tuesday– Travelers on Highway 46 east of Cholame will encounter daytime traffic delays Monday and Tuesday as crews switch traffic to a new roadway alignment in San Luis Obispo County.
The traffic switch is scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During that time, crews will move travelers on Highway 46 onto new structures and a new alignment slightly north of the previous roadway.
Drivers can expect delays of about 15 minutes, with intermittent delays not exceeding 30 minutes. California Highway Patrol officers will assist with traffic breaks while striping and other work is completed to guide travelers onto the new alignment.
The work schedule is weather-dependent, and updates will be provided if conditions require changes.
Once the new traffic pattern is in place, local access to Highway 46 will change. The new alignment carries traffic over Cholame Creek, Cholame Creek Overflow, and Cholame Valley Road, and it reconfigures access between Highway 46 and Cholame Valley Road.
One change will occur between the driveway turnoff to Jack Ranch Café and the Highway 46 and Highway 41 separation bridge and ramps. The new alignment runs slightly north of the previous roadway and removes at-grade intersections between Jack Ranch Café and the separation bridge and ramps. As a result, direct access between the new alignment of Highway 46 and Cholame Valley Road and Davis Road will no longer be available.
A portion of the old Highway 46 will remain in place between Jack Ranch Café and Cholame Valley Road and will serve as a frontage road connecting Jack Ranch Café, Davis Road, and Cholame Valley Road. This change affects travelers heading north on Cholame Valley Road toward Parkfield and those traveling south from Parkfield to access the new Highway 46 alignment.
The turnoff at Jack Ranch Café will now serve as the access point to Cholame Valley Road for both eastbound and westbound Highway 46 traffic. The new section of Cholame Valley Road connects at the café driveway and continues east along the old Highway 46 alignment past Davis Road to the existing Cholame Valley Road intersection. A 90-degree turn will connect the new portion of Cholame Valley Road with the existing roadway.
Access from Cholame Valley Road to Highway 46 at Jack Ranch Café will require a right turn to head east toward the Highway 41 separation and a left turn to head west toward Paso Robles.
Road information and updates are available through Caltrans District 5 social media platforms.
