Caltrans is scheduled to begin adding a lane in each direction on Interstate 5 from Bonnyview Road to the Highway 44 interchange in Redding late this spring.
The long-planned project received the green light from California Transportation Commission, which recently allocated $22.5 million for the “South Redding Six Lane” project. The money comes from the Proposition 1B transportation bond that state voters approved in 2006.
The project involves adding a travel lane and a 10-foot-wide shoulder for about three miles in each direction. I’m sure everyone who drives on I-5 at rush hour will appreciate this addition, as this stretch is the most congested piece of I-5 between Woodland and the Oregon border, according to Caltrans.
Piece by piece, Caltrans is making progress on widening the freeway from Red Bluff through Redding. The South Redding Six Lane project is set to begin shortly after Caltrans wraps up work on the new truck climbing lanes on I-5 between Anderson and Cottonwood.
The state Transportation Commission also allocated $500,000 to complete landscaping along the recently completed Dana to Downtown project on Highway 44 in Redding. Watch for work this spring.
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• Dedication of a bench in honor of Joshua Munn at the Anderson River Park Veteran’s Memorial is scheduled for 4 p.m. next Monday, January 31. A former Marine who grew up in Anderson, Munn died at the hands of kidnappers several years ago while working for a private security agency in Iraq. Monday would have been Munn’s 28th birthday.
• Anderson Cottonwood Christian Assistance (ACCA) and the organization Toys from the Heart is in the midst of a sock, pajama and sweats drive for babies and children. Donations may be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays at the ACCA office, 2927 East Center Street, Anderson.
• Small business owners and contractors who would like to get a piece of public contracts are the target audience for a February 8 outreach session organized by the state Department of General Services, Caltrans, the city of Redding, Shasta County’s Public Works Department and Nor Cal Pacific Insurance & Bonding Services. The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Shasta Builder’s Exchange office in Redding. Learn more and register on the Caltrans District 2 website.
• Department of Fish and Game meetings scheduled next week in Redding, Yreka and West Sacramento regarding suction dredging have been postponed. Because of a court order and legislation, the agency, which used to issue about 3,200 permits a year for small-scale suction dredging, suspended all permits and may not issue new ones until a new environmental impact report is certified. Suction dredging involves vacuuming material from a creekbed or lakebed and sorting out valuable metals, typically gold. Practitioners say they have the right to undertake the activity because waterways are open to the public. Environmentalists, Indian tribes and anglers oppose the activity because it despoils aquatic habitat and kills fish. If you’re interested in learning more, visit the DFG website.
Paul Shigley is senior editor of California Planning & Development Report, a frequent contributor to Planning magazine and spends far too much time on I-5. He lives in Centerville. Paul Shigley may be reached at pauls.anewscafe@gmail.com.
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