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8.3 Million Approved To Widen Six Miles Of State Route 70

Safety improvements to State route 70 took another step forward Friday, with the announcement of $8.3 million to widen just over six miles of the highway south of Oroville. 

 

 

Caltrans spokesman Gilbert Mohtes-Chan said the work will add a continuous center turn lane, widen shoulders, and remove obstructions adjacent to the pavement. Such ‘recovery zones’ are meant to increase the chance that an out of control vehicle can safely stop.  

 

 

Meanwhile Mohtes-Chan said, Butte County officials are expected to assemble the funding needed to add a second northbound and a second southbound lane.  

 

“We are going to combine those together and pool our money and that would create the safety project and the passing lanes, which together would be five lanes and wider shoulders.” Mohtes-Chan said.

 

Work will proceed in two phases. Mohtes-Chan said work between Ophir Road and Palermo could be completed by late next year.  

 

Work south of there, to Cox Lane, may not be completed before 2022 due to more complexity and the need to acquire right-of-way.  

 

Mohtes-Chan said there have been 17 fatalities along the highway between Oroville and Marysville over the last two years.