3 days of roadwork to prepare for winter

Highway 17 drivers will need to plan ahead this week as three days of maintenance work to prep for winter is sure to make the trek over the hill a slow journey.

Caltrans will begin work today on Highway 17 between Vine Hill Road in Scotts Valley and Summit Road, closing the northbound right lane from Vine Hill to just south of Sugarloaf Road between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

On Wednesday and Thursday, work will shift to the southbound side, with the slow lane closed from the Santa Cruz County line to Cloud Nine Restaurant between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Electronic message signs will be posted alerting motorists of this roadwork, which consists of sign repairs, tree work and ditch/ channel cleaning that is necessary as part of routine storm preparation.

Today’s 10 a.m. start time is an hour later than a tree trimming job two weeks ago that closed a northbound lane and caused an 8-mile backup during the morning commute. Drivers fear a repeat.

“Even at 11 a.m. northbound is still the commute direction,” said Dave Jones of Gilroy. “This work should have been started closer to or even after noon.”

Caltrans said the 10 a.m. start is needed to get workers off the road by 2:30 p.m.

For lane closure information on this project and for traffic updates on other Caltrans projects in Santa Cruz County, call Caltrans toll free at 831-423-0396 or go to www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/ paffairs/release.htm#scr.