Caltrans takes aim at Yolo Causeway bottleneck with new lane
Starting Monday morning, Caltrans is opening a new lane on westbound Interstate 80 to help alleviate some of the bottleneck caused by roadwork.
Even before work began on the I-80 Pavement Rehabilitation Project in July 2023, the stretch of road leading up to the Yolo Causeway in West Sacramento was a notorious bottleneck for drivers.
Temporary lane shifts and new road barriers have only added to the chaos and confusion of the road – a critical junction of Highway 50 and I-80 for drivers headed to the Bay Area.
🚧👷🏼♀️ TRAFFIC ALERT: To help alleviate the bottle neck at the US 50/I-80 junction for the remainder of the I-80 and US 50 Pavement Rehabilitation project, a new lane will open on WB I-80 in Yolo County at 5 a.m. 6/30. https://t.co/KuzBEkQINX#KnowBeforeYouGo #caltransquickmap pic.twitter.com/FZuOHCln0h
— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) June 27, 2025
Caltrans is now trying to get ahead and ease some of the bottleneck by opening up a new lane. Traffic will run adjacent to the highway before merging onto I-80 at the Causeway.
Drivers will still have to stick to the 55 mph speed limit due to it being a work zone.
The $280 million project has an estimated completion date of May 2026.