Pile driving work for Highway 156 project to start on Monday

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV): UPDATE ON JULY 2, 2023 AT 12:19 PM- Caltrans said that the next phase of the Highway 156 project will start on Monday morning with a pile driving operation taking place in the neighborhoods near the Mission Farms RV Park and the Copperleaf community.

Caltrans said that the work will take place from July 3 to July 17, Monday thru Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crews will not be working on Independence Day.

The pile driving operation is required to build a retaining and sound wall for the Highway 156 improvement project.

Caltrans said that people who live at the Mission Farms RV Park that reside within the north side of the community and people who live in the Copperleaf community will experience noise and ground vibration during this phase of construction.

Motorists who are driving through the area will also hear noise from the construction activity.

Caltrans said that the project is still on track to be completed by summer 2025.

Flagging operations on Union Road expected to start on Wednesday

UPDATE ON APRIL 30, 2023 AT 11:00 AM- Caltrans and San Benito County officials are advising drivers to expect brief delays on Union Road starting on Wednesday morning as a result of the Highway 156 improvement project.

Construction crews will start excavating 120,000 cubic yards of earth from the Union Road Hill and distribute it throughout areas west of that location.

In order to distribute the material, haul trucks will pass back and forth across Union Road just south of Highway 156.

Drivers will encounter a vehicle flagging operation on Union Road starting on Wednesday and continuing for the next couple of weeks depending on weather conditions. The hours of the flagging operation will be from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Caltrans said that San Juan Hollister Road is still closed to through traffic between Union Road and the 4th Street/Highway 156 Business Route during the duration of construction.

The Highway 156 improvement project is now expected to be completed by Summer 2025.

Highway 156 improvement project starting road closures on Monday

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 20, 2022 AT 10:38 AM: Caltrans said that a long-term closure of San Juan Hollister Road will start next week due to the Highway 156 improvement project.

On Monday Oct. 24, the San Juan Hollister Road will be closed between Union Road and Business Route 156.

Caltrans said the closure is scheduled to be in place until May 2023. Travel on Highway 156 will be unaffected by the closure of San Juan Hollister Road.

Starting on Oct. 26, there will also be daytime closures of Union Road between Highway 156 and San Juan Oaks Road.

Original Story

A long awaited construction project on Highway 156 is set to begin on Sunday night.

Caltrans announced that a new four lane expressway on Highway 156 between Hollister and San Juan Bautista will start construction at 9 p.m. The San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will start in San Juan Bautista at The Alameda and continue to just east of Hwy. 156 Business Route (4th Street.) in Hollister.

Drivers and motorcycle riders will have to be patient as they will be in one-way traffic control in both directions of Hwy. 156, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., beginning on Sunday night. The overnight one-way traffic control will take place through the morning of Friday Aug. 26.

There will be road closures as construction begins as access will be closed from Hwy. 156 to Mission Vineyard Road. in San Juan Bautista. Drivers will also not be able to access San Juan Hollister Road. from Union Road.

The overnight traffic control is due to crews applying new striping on the highway and the installation of the K-rail along extended segments off of eastbound Highway 156. The location of the traffic control will vary each night as crews make progress in installing the K-rail.

After the K-rail is installed, crews will start working behind the K-rail to perform initial clearing and
earthwork activities. Caltrans did say that occasional traffic control is anticipated on an as needed basis during this project.

Most of the construction will be along the new alignment on Highway 156. The project is expected to be completed by Fall 2024.