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Highway 49 Traffic Shift Scheduled Near Grass Valley

Local driveway detours begin Monday as crews move traffic east.

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2 min read

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Aerial view of traffic on Highway 49 beside fresh pavement, graded earth, and tree-lined construction areas near Grass Valley.

Construction along Highway 49 near Grass Valley includes new pavement and grading beside the existing roadway.

Caltrans District 3

GRASS VALLEY – Traffic on Highway 49 between Wellswood Way and McKnight Way is scheduled to shift east onto temporary pavement overnight Sunday, November 8, as construction continues on the State Route 49 Corridor Improvement Project, Caltrans District 3 said in a November 5 notice.

Crews will begin moving lanes and temporary concrete barriers at 8 PM, with both directions expected to be on the new alignment by 6 AM Monday, November 9. The pavement was built earlier this season and will carry traffic throughout the 2027 construction season.

The shift also requires crews to reconnect driveways and county roads west of the highway between Bethel Church Way and Crestview Drive. From 6 AM Monday, November 9, through 3 PM Friday, November 13, local access will use the old highway alignment, guided by flaggers and a pilot car:

  • Northbound drivers heading to affected driveways should turn left onto Bethel Church Way and wait at the flagger for the pilot car.

  • Southbound drivers heading to affected driveways should turn right onto Crestview Drive and wait at the flagger for the pilot car.

  • Drivers entering Highway 49 from the affected properties should wait for the pilot car and follow it in the appropriate direction.

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Caltrans aerial map highlights driveway access between Bethel Church Way and Crestview, with flagger locations at both ends and access by pilot car.

Flagger locations and local access routes for the November 9–13 detour west of Highway 49.

Caltrans District 3

Caltrans advises allowing extra time because crews may need to move equipment to let vehicles through. Weather, materials, or other unexpected events could change the schedule; current traffic information is available on QuickMap.

The $124.9 million corridor project extends from Allison Ranch Road/La Barr Meadows Road to the McKnight Way interchange. It will add a two-way left-turn lane, right-turn lanes, 10-foot shoulders, and a northbound lane for slow-moving trucks.

A southbound truck-climbing lane will eliminate the lane drop and merge south of McKnight Way. The project also includes a new entrance to the Nevada County Transit Operations Center, improving access to its zero-emission bus charging infrastructure.

Granite Construction is the prime contractor, and Caltrans expects the work to be completed by the end of 2028.