Lanes on I-680 will be open over long weekend

QWill northbound Interstate 680 still be closed over Memorial Day weekend? The Caltrans website has not been updated recently and signage only shows information through April

30. One would think Caltrans information would be current before a holiday weekend.

My son will be married in Dublin May 27 and several of us will drive from the South Bay. Please also confirm if 680 north will be open Friday afternoon. Rehearsal dinner!

– Carolyn Tiernan, Milpitas

AThere will be no I-680 closure now in the Sunol/Pleasanton area Memorial Day weekend.

There will be one more weekend closure in the area and Caltrans will provide advance notice about it, once the date has been set.

For more information, visit 680paving.com.

QThere's a 55 mph road construction speed limit sign on 17 south between I-280 and Hamilton Avenue, but I see no evidence of any active construction work in the area.

Where does the construction end? I don't see any additional signs for several miles as I travel south on 17.

I believe signs like this, with no active construction, contribute to people ignoring the signs.

– Steve Ling, San Jose

AMuch of the work in this area is done at night, and will continue through the end of the year.

QIn your Sept. 25, 2022 column about trash on our highways, you gave us information about Adopt-A-Highway to help with trash pickup. I filled out the online form on Sept. 28. I was not interested in either the stipend or the sign, just wanted to volunteer. By Oct. 24, it was approved, pending a site review. On Nov. 1, I signed the agreement. Five months passed before I was contacted again, after I sent a prompting email.

On April 7, the Encroachment Permit was issued, pending the Safety Orientation. The designated contact person did not answer emails and his voicemail was full, so with prompting of the originator, I finally got an email to schedule the Safety Orientation on May 4. My vests and hard hats arrived May 8.

On May 20, with my son, I did my first volunteer clean-up. In 1.5 hours we collected 4 bags of junk and sent an email to Caltrans to pick them up. I will check over the next week or so to make sure they get picked up!

My son worries about my safety on the side of the road, but I wanted to be “part of the solution.” We need an army of volunteers to pick up trash and cut weeds on our roadways, or we need full-time staff to keep highways clean. – Cindy Castillo, Sunnyvale A

You get an A+ for diligence and followup. The state has a plan to pay volunteers to clean up trash. It is a big and continuing job.

Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/ mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@ bayareanewsgroup.com.