I-80 Gold Hill rest stop will remain closed until Sept. 21

QWe just finished driving from Chicago back to California, much of it on Interstate 80. A lot of the rest areas were closed in Nebraska and Nevada. Now California seems to be following their bad habits.

You are told the next rest area is 40 miles ahead, only to find out just as you arrive at the next one that it’s closed. For instance, themain rest area on 80 west is at Gold Hill. It’s inconceivable that it would be closed at the height of the summer travel season. Do your Caltrans sources have any info or help for this? — Kathy Craig, Lafayette

AThey sure do. Gold Hill is one of the most popular rest areas in Northern California, with a lot of history exhibits and artifacts. When coming west, it is only about 30 miles west of the Donner Pass rest area so folks often think “We’ll just go to the next one.”

But Gold Hill is closed until Sept. 21. The water system is being updated, which requires a substantial amount of digging and moving lots of earth. This can only be accomplished safely in the summer.

Most travelers know once you pass one rest area, you’re taking a chance that the next might not be open. Go to www.dot.ca.gov and the Travel tab and the link for Roadside Rest Areas in the right-hand menu. Or get the free Caltrans Quick-Map app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

QI’ve been doing the commute from Tracy to the South Bay for 29plus years. How about an extra lane on Highway 120 and a rework of the 120-Highway 99 interchange? And while you’re at it, four lanes on Interstate 5 from Interstate 205 to Highway 4 in Stockton in both directions? That’s about the only way to (temporarily) free up 205 eastbound. — Mike Knapp, Tracy

AGood ideas that are now going through environmental studies.

There is a project to widen 120 to three lanes in both directions. And another project to reconstruct the 120-99 interchange to provide new auxiliary lanes, a bridge for Austin Road and the Union Pacific Rail Road, construct additional connector lanes, realign ramps and build local roads for access. Work could begin in three years and be done in 2023.

As for I- 5, it will be widened to four lanes each way from 205 to Highway 4 in Stockton in a few years.

QI was was driving some Boy Scouts back froma trip on Interstate 680 in my van and following a fellow towing his boat with an outboard. He went over a bump and the outboard flew off his boat right in front of me. I was able to swerve and miss it. I was happy, and so were my Boy Scouts. — Ed Burling, Monte Sereno A I bet they were.