SR 65 paving to be suspended

Will start back up in early summer

Work on the pavement preservation project on Highway 65 from Porterville to Lindsay will be going into winter suspension, delaying the completion of the project until the early summer. The reason for suspending the project is due to workers not being able to complete paving, which is due to cold weather, said Christian Lukens, acting chief for the office of public information and legislative affairs for Caltrans District 6.

Lukens said the project’s contractor is placing temporary striping and shoulder backing to make the area safe before pulling off the job for the winter. Such work, he said, should be completed by midnovember.

Lukens said the project will resume when temperatures are favorable for paving at night, which he said will likely be in May.

Work that has already been completed on the project include guardrails, signal modifications and curb ramps, Lukens said. He added that next year’s work would only be to complete the paving and striping.

When work starts back up after the winter suspension, Lukens said it should only take between one to two months to fully complete the project.

As far as for motorists, Lukens said there have been nightly lane closures throughout the project.

Lukens said work is currently being performed at night between 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. For safety reasons, Lukens said the public should not access the construction area unless authorized by the Resident Engineer.

“This, of course, does not apply to motorists,” Lukens said.

Lukens said the project was awarded in April at approximately $7.5 million, and is being funded from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) for pavement preservation.