Sonora, CA…The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will perform one-way traffic control on northbound and southbound State Route 49/108 at the Woods Creek Bridge. This will help prepare the bridge for a project that will apply a polyester-concrete overlay this summer, creating a smooth ride and a smooth transition from the roadway to the bridge. The Woods Creek Bridge is one mile south of Jamestown and just north of Bell Mooney Road. Work is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22, 2019, and Wednesday, January 23, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Traffic on the bridge will be limited to one lane and motorists should expect 15 minute delays. Drivers are being urged to take alternate routes whenever possible during these two days.

SR-49/108 is the north-south transportation artery for Tuolumne County, moving residents around the region and generating commerce in the local business community. The state route also enables visitors to enjoy Yosemite National Park and many other local landmarks, bolstering the tourism-based economy. As a result, the Wood Creek Bridge plays a critical role for residents and the economy in Tuolumne County.

While the bridge will be repaved and improved this summer, the work being performed now is intended to prevent bats from roosting under or inside the bridge’s small crevices.

The Yuma myotis bat is listed as a species of special concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bat regularly crawls into the crevices and gaps on the exterior of the concrete, two-lane bridge.

Workers are using foam rods to seal those crevices and gaps at this time because the bats are gone –the animals typically enter an inactive state from December 1 to February 15 and leave the bridge. This gives Caltrans an opportunity to install bat exclusion measures, without fear of harming the bats.

A Caltrans truck will be positioned on the bridge during this work, using a basket to provide workers access to the spans and underside of the bridge, where they will install the foam rods. Workers will remove the foam rods following the paving project later this year, allowing the bats to return to their traditional roost. In the meantime, they’ll find new homes this spring.

This summer’s project will create a smooth ride for motorists and cyclists, removing the rough pavement, and the dips and cracks that allow water to puddle on the surface of the bridge.

This work is scheduled to begin as listed, but is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment, and/or materials and construction related issues.

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For the safety of workers and other motorists, please Be Work Zone Alert.
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www.dot.ca.gov
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