MADERA - Caltrans and the Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC) held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to mark the beginning of construction on the Senate Bill 1 funded State Route 99 Madera Widening Project in Madera County.

This $86.1 million project will revitalize 23.4 lane miles, construct 11.7 new lane miles, upgrade the Almond Avenue on-ramp, construct 3,500 feet of drainage systems and five maintenance vehicle pullouts, install one changeable message sign and include the construction of 25,000 feet of concrete barrier. About $66 million of this project’s funding is provided by Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“State Route 99 is a major freight and commercial agricultural corridor, and it endures a lot of wear and tear,” said Caltrans Acting Director Bob Franzoia. “Long-term repairs from this project will not only provide a safer and smoother commute for motorists, but the new lane miles and other upgrades will relieve congestion in the City of Madera.” More than 66,000 motorists per day use the roadway to reach their destination, and more than 14,000 truckers per day use this segment of State Route 99.

“Without this project, congestion would continue, which would have a direct impact on travelers and result in valuable time lost,” said Caltrans District 6 Director Sharri Bender Ehlert. “Providing an efficient route of travel is imperative for our local truckers who are transporting livestock, almonds, milk, grapes, pistachios or other goods every day to the agricultural businesses in Madera County.”

This Madera 99 Widening project has been awarded to Los Angeles based Security Paving Company, who will focus on replacing damaged pavement, constructing an additional lane through the downtown area, upgrading drainage, and completing long-lasting repairs to restore the roadway and improve traffic safety. Work is scheduled to take place during the night, Sunday through Thursday. The project is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2020. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, use alternate routes, and Be Work Zone Alert.

The work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. More information and updates on projects can be found at or on Twitter via @CaltransDist6.

SB 1 provides an ongoing funding increase of approximately $1.8 billion annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state highway system. SB 1 funds will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts by 2027.