Information provided by Caltrans District 5
Caltrans announced construction on the Highway 156 Corridor Improvement Project will result in a long-term closure of San Juan Hollister Road starting next week.
Beginning Oct. 24, San Juan Hollister Road will be closed between Union Road and Business Route 156. The realignment of San Juan Hollister Road is part of the Corridor Improvement Project. This closure is scheduled to be in place until May 2023.
Travel on Highway 156 will be unaffected by the closure of San Juan Hollister Road, the release said.
It added that beginning Oct. 26, there will be temporary daytime closures of Union Road between Highway 156 and San Juan Oaks Road.
“Flaggers will stop travelers on Union Road every 15 to 20 minutes to permit heavy machinery to carry their loads across Union Road,” the release said. “Travelers can expect delays of up to 5 minutes. This daytime flagging operation is scheduled to remain in place until Nov. 10.”
The San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will construct a four-lane expressway immediately south of the existing Hwy. 156 alignment. This 5.2-mile project will begin in San Juan Bautista at The Alameda and continue to just east of Hwy. 156 Business Route (4th St.) in Hollister.
During construction, access will be closed from Highway 156 to Mission Vineyard Road in San Juan Bautista. Also, travelers will not be able to access San Juan Hollister Road from Union Road.
Updates for the San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project can be found on the Transportation Updates page of the Council of San Benito County Governments at:
http://sanbenitocog.org/transportation-updates/
The contractor for this project is Teichert Construction of Sacramento. This project is expected to conclude in Summer 2025.
The focus of the $105.9 million expansion is to relieve traffic congestion on Hwy 156 and “reduce peak hour traffic congestion and save millions in vehicle operating and accident costs,” according to the Caltrans website. The project is funded through local traffic impact fees and the statewide transportation and improvement program.
Caltrans estimates the project will save $34.6 million in accident and vehicle operating costs over 20 years; provide a $102.8 million return on investment in the same period; and reduce congestion by 1,902 hours daily and 694,257 hours annually.