Another stoplight is being installed on Highway 99 south of Yuba City
YUBA CITY — Highway 99 south of Yuba City is being reduced to two lanes because another traffic signal is being installed for what Caltrans says is a safety project.
The stretch of Highway 99 near Oswald Road sees a high volume of traffic.
An evaluation done by Caltrans found that there were 37 crashes around that crossing over a three-year period.
"Over the last five or six years, there's been a number of accidents, some of them fatal, unfortunately," said Neal Hay, the director of development services with Sutter County. "So the county has worked together with Caltrans to identify some solutions for safety enhancements."
Ultimately, after public feedback, a 4-way traffic signal was chosen to be installed at Oswald Road. The county says it'll be synced up to coordinate with the signal just north at Barry Road.
"They're going to put the sensors within the roadway so it can identify the volume of traffic and the number of vehicles," Hay said.
Megan Reese with Caltrans says construction for the nearly $16 million project is expected to wrap up in August.
"We're excited about it," Reese said. "We know the people living around are excited about it. They see the concerns as well."
Reese says that while the project as a whole won't be complete until later this year, the main construction portion is slated to be done by August.
Patrick Estes has lived off Highway 99 near Oswald Road for more than 50 years.
"If we can save a few lives, and a few fenders, I can put up with a little bit of slowdown of traffic, a little more noise, more congestion, whatever," Estes said.
