Your Tuesday morning commute may be a little different. The big highway 50 renovation project is now underway on the section known as the "W/X" freeway. Some eastbound lanes are closed while crews repair and resurface the deck and congestion has already begun.
9 A.M. Glimpses of Tuesday morning's commute:
Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio
7:30 A.M. -- CapRadio's Ben Adler was heading north on 99 and he says it was a breeze. At 8 a.m., a good alternate route from Elk Grove and South Sacramento is to use I-5 and cut over on Sutterville to 99.
7 A.M -- Capital Public Radio's Bob Moffitt is covering the commute this morning. He joins us live from a pedestrian bridge overlooking the area where eastbound 50 and I-5 meet.
Steve Milne: How's traffic moving in that area and who's most affected?
Bob Moffitt: The leftbound lanes are the most affected right now and they are at a stop. We have gone from at the limit at 5:15 a.m. to 25 mph about 40 minutes ago to 0. The traffic has literally stopped on the left two lanes. If you're trying to get on to north or southbound I-5, the delay is not that bad. Traffic is moving reasonably well there. Connecting from southbound I-5, to eastbound 50, those connectors are starting to slow, I'm seeing more brake lights.
6 A.M. -- Capital Public Radio's Bob Moffitt is out covering the commute this morning.
Steve Milne: Where are you and what are you seeing?
Bob Moffitt: I'm at the bicycle ramp over the top of I-5 and right now I'm seeing congestion, stretching into West Sacramento from those coming in on 50. Some lanes are moving a little bit, but those on the left lanes are at a crawl or stopped right now. It's taking a FedEx truck about a minute-two minutes to move about 150 yards. The congestion on 50 is as advertised. The connecting ramp though from I-5 to eastbound 50 still moving smoothly.
Steve Milne: What alternate routes are Caltrans and the city asking people to take?
Bob Moffitt: Any and every. They are trying to disperse this as far and wide as possible. Florin, Fruitridge, 12th, 24th, down to the south, and up north, Richard, J, Arden, 50 over the top of town. Any opportunity, any route you can think of that you can there, they're all for it. Right now, it's looking like it's going to turn into a parking lot.
Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio
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