Editor’s note: Caltrans announced Nov. 7 the closure would occur sometime after Thanksgiving Day. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Drivers who regularly use the intersection of Hwy 156 and Union Road to enter or exit Hollister will soon find themselves temporarily rerouted to the intersection of Hwy 156 and Business Route 156 (Fourth Street) as Caltrans is scheduled to close the Union Road exit in late November.
Caltrans District 5 Public Information Officer Heidi Crawford said the exit will close sometime near Thanksgiving until traffic is shifted to the newly constructed highway in late July 2024. At that point, only Hwy 156 and Mitchell Road will be accessible at that now three-way intersection.
During the closure, San Juan Hollister Road will serve as a conduit for all traffic headed to or from Union Road.
The detour is part of the final stage of the $105.9 million San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project that is constructing five miles of four-lane expressway between The Alameda in San Juan Bautista and Business Route 156 in Hollister. The project is funded by the State Transportation Improvement Program and local funds.
The schedule depends on when AT&T completes its work at San Juan Hollister Road, Crawford said. In response to a BenitoLink inquiry, AT&T Lead Public Relations Manager Sarah Rodriguez said, “We are working as quickly as possible to relocate our aerial cables and utility poles, which support landline service.”
She added AT&T continue to coordinate with Caltrans and their contractors as work progresses.
AT&T’s work at that location is expected to be completed around Oct. 25, according to Crawford, at which time Teichert Construction, which is handling the roadbuilding, will start work at San Juan Hollister Road’s new alignment, which should take about a month.
Once that is complete, sometime around Thanksgiving, Teichert will close off Union Road at the intersection and begin the final stage of work on the east end of the project. CalTrans, according to Crawford, will have an official statement outlining the construction schedule closer to when the closure is finalized.
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