Full closures are not expected until late July or early August. Once they begin, they are expected Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with occasional week-to-week pauses possible. Closures will only affect specific spot locations shown on the project graphic, not the full corridor all at once.

Full closures will be needed for worker and traveler safety during operations such as rock blasting and slope stabilization and will reduce the project timeline by about four years. Crews will have procedures in place for emergency vehicles. While work such as rock blasting may not allow the highway to open immediately for emergency vehicles, crews will implement plans to allow passage as quickly as possible when necessary.

Night and weekend work for this project will be minimal and is only expected for signal operations and maintenance, since daylight is needed for the main construction work.

Permanent posted speed limits will not change as part of this project. However, temporary speed reduction packages are in place at signal locations, reducing speed limits to 35 mph within the signal traffic control areas. Please pay attention to signage and give yourself ample stopping time, especially with increased holiday weekend traffic. Stopped queues can come up quickly on this winding road.

This project will upgrade a few tight and narrow spots on Route 197 and U.S. 199 so industry-standard size STAA trucks can use the corridor, improving goods movement without causing a major jump in truck traffic or higher speed limits. Wider lanes, wider shoulders, longer curve radii and better sight distance are designed to make the roadway safer for all travelers, including STAA trucks.

The targeted improvements, amending only 1.7 miles of roadway, also include bridge work, drainage improvements, pavement upgrades, guardrail installation and slope stabilization.

Read more about the project at tinyurl.com/dnstaa