THE BASICS

Caltrans has a website, Fix50.com, where you can get up-to-date information on the U.S. 50 rehabilitation project and sign up for alerts. The site also includes alternate routes (with maps).

If you don't recognize "U.S. 50" as a highway in downtown Sacramento, consider that the route is also known as the W-X freeway (because it runs between and parallel to W and X streets) and Business 80 (also known as the Capital City Freeway). Starting at Interstate 80 (where it veers northeast toward Reno), U.S. 50 crosses Sacramento and continues east to Lake Tahoe and ultimately to Ocean City, Md. Business 80 also goes east from I-80 (where it heads toward Reno), then goes north from U.S. 50, looping around east Sacramento and reconnecting with I-80 in north Sacramento. See Bing map.

Here is the work schedule, revised as of June 11:

• Stage 1, April 22-May 16 — All lanes, ramps and connectors scheduled to be open by 7 a.m. Friday, May 16.
• In between stages — The contractor may do some work at night in the westbound lanes, but not on or around Memorial Day (May 26).
• Stage 2, May 27-June 19 — Construction in the westbound direction, three lanes open, two to three lanes closed; all eastbound lanes and ramps open.

Ramp closures-changes June 6-19 (outside lanes closed):

• Business 80-U.S. 50 connector — Westbound Business 80 to westbound U.S. 50, closed. Suggested detour: Go east on U.S. 50 to the exit for Howe Avenue-Power Inn Road. Halfway down the ramp, there's another exit, this one for California State University, Sacramento. Careful as you take this exit — it's a sharp curve onto Hornet Drive. Then go a short distance under the freeway and make a quick left turn to get on U.S. 50 going west.
• 99-50 connector — Northbound state Highway 99 to westbound U.S. 50, connector ramp reduced to one lane.
• 16th Street — Offramp closed (use 26th Street).

Work hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

RELATED STORIES

"FIX 50: The commute's OK, the copters are noisy," Dateline UC Davis (May 27, 2014)

"Fix 50 begins: Round-the-clock, eastbound, until May 21," Dateline UC Davis (April 22, 2014)

"8 detours to help you avoid Hwy. 50 construction traffic,” News10 (April 20, 2014)

"Commuter trains, bus systems gear up for Fix 50 crowds," The Sacramento Bee (April 17, 2014)

“$3 Amtrak tickets, free Unitrans during Fix 50,” Dateline UC Davis (April 17, 2014)

"New and expanded shuttle service during Fix 50," Dateline UC Davis (April 8, 2014)

"Highway project will get you coming or going," Dateline UC Davis (April 1, 2014)

"Will Sacramento freeway closures cause a ‘Carmageddon’?" The Sacramento Bee (March 21, 2014)

"Major repairs to U.S. Highway 50 to cause delays, congestion," The Insider, UC Davis Health System intranet site, accessible only from UC Davis computers (March 20, 2014)

"FIX 50: Plan for it, think about changing your commute," Dateline UC Davis (March 18, 2014)

"THE FALLOUT: For commuters and lots of others," Dateline UC Davis (March 11, 2014)

"Be prepared for the 'Fix 50' highway project," Dateline UC Davis (March 4, 2014)

Updated 7 a.m. June 19: The Sacramento Bee issues an alert stating: "Fix 50 is finally over. All lanes on Hwy. 50 reopened at 5 a.m. before this morning's commute."

•••

By Dateline staff

The California Department of Transportation isn’t confirming it, but the “Fix 50” contractor has said he will finish the project this Thursday (June 19). Caltrans is sticking with the previously scheduled end date of June 25.

Either way, we’re in the final days of repair work that has put the squeeze on U.S. Highway 50 in central Sacramento since April 22 — cutting off half the lanes going east (April 22-May 16) and half the lanes going west (since May 27).

The project between the Davis and Sacramento campuses has meant delays for people commuting to and from either campus; for staff, faculty and students traveling between campuses during the day; and for visitors.

For a good part of the project, UC Davis beefed up its intercampus shuttle and waived the fare. This accomplished two things: It cut down the number of cars on the road, and gave passengers a break from driving, so they could work on their mobile devices while en route to work.

However, with the end of the spring quarter and as Fix 50 winds down, the shuttle returned to its regular schedule on Monday (June 16). The fare waiver is still in effect, through Monday, June 30.

An early finish would be nothing new for C.C. Myers of Myers and Sons Construction. He finished Fix 50's Stage 1 (eastbound) six days early, and the first part of Stage 2 (westbound) five days early.

During this part of the project, Caltrans has closed the connector ramp from westbound Business 80 to westbound U.S. 50, and the 16th Street offramp (use the 26th Street instead).

Also, Caltrans continues to restrict traffic on the connector from northbound state Highway 99 to westbound U.S. 50 — instead of two lanes, the connector is down to one.

Caltrans continues to urge people to use alternative transportation, especially considering traffic congestion has been worse during the westbound construction than during the eastbound part of the project.

See Dateline’s resource list below.

•••

Fix 50 can affect you even if you don't use U.S. 50. Say you're expecting someone from off campus, a job candidate, perhaps; you will need to talk with him or her beforehand to factor in extra travel time.

Likewise, if you're putting on an event, you will need to get the word out to your audience. Notably, every graduation ceremony except one is scheduled during Fix 50’s Stage 2. This Friday (May 30), the School of Medicine holds its commencement on the Davis campus, and 11 other ceremonies are scheduled here from June 11 to 15.

Commencement schedule

•••

The highway at the south edge of downtown Sacramento is officially U.S. 50, but it is often called the W-X freeway, because it runs between and parallel to W and X streets. The W-X consists of eastbound and westbound viaducts, or elevated structures, built in 1968 and showing their age — with cracks in the concrete decking between 18th and 24th streets.

In the $45 million project, Sacramento-based Myers and Sons Construction is repairing the cracks, laying new concrete decks, building wider shoulders (by widening the viaducts) and retrofitting the support columns to make them seismically safe.

C.C. Myers, who heads the construction company, has a record of completing complex projects on time — like the "Big Fix" on Interstate 5 in downtown Sacramento in 2008, and, more recently, a massive, two-deck structure that the Myers crew built and rolled into place on Yerba Buena Island as a temporary detour during construction of the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Dateline UC Davis will keep you informed about Fix 50 as it relates to UC Davis, and direct you to the best available resources, for commute options, detours, etc. Return to this page for updates.

RESOURCES

Caltrans' Fix50.com

• Speed limit reduced to 55 mph in the work zone
• Sign up for email alerts
• Sign up for text alerts (text "Fix50" to 20673)
• Live view from Caltrans camera at 28th Street
• Caltrans traffic map (color-coded for traffic speed)
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Fix50WX
• Twitter: @Fix_50
• Instagram: @Fix_50

Fix50.com widgets

UC Davis online resource kit (including logos and a sample message) for the campus community

Workplace flexibility (compressed workweeks, flextime and telecommuting)

• Personnel Policies for Staff Members, Section 31, Exhibit A

Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), Davis campus

• goClub — It offers discounted bus passes and Amtrak Commuter Checks.
• goCarpool — This site includes a link to the Zimride ride-matching service, complimentary to all staff, faculty and students.
• goVanpool — There is no Davis campus-affiliated vanpool running at this time on the U.S. 50 corridor, but TAPS would be happy to explore this option with interested commuters. Send your name, address and work hours to goclub@ucdavis.edu.
• Consultation — Leslie Mancebo, transportation demand and marketing coordinator for TAPS, is available to consult with employees on their commute options. You can reach her by phone, (530) 752-6453, or you can send her an email.

Parking and Transportation Services, Sacramento campus

Intercampus shuttle — LAST DAY FOR ADDED SERVICE JUNE 13. Regular service resumes Monday (June 16). Free fares continue through Monday, June 30. The Davis campus transit office advises: "If you are enrolled in the goClub to receive a monthly shuttle pass, we will resume the distribution of these passes during the week of June 23-27 for the month of July. Refunds for deductions taken for May and June shuttle passes will be made by UC Davis Health System shortly."

Green Line — Hours of operation had been extended on this free shuttle running between the campus and the 39th Street light-rail station, but now, during those extended hours, 6 to 8 p.m., you'll have to call for a ride: (916) 734-2687.

Permit parking — The Davis and Sacramento campuses honor certain parking permits from the other campus: Davis campus “A” and “C” permits are valid in “B” permit areas on the Sacramento campus, and Sacramento campus "B" and "D" permits are valid in "A," "C" and visitor spaces on the Davis campus. If you don't have a permit, you'll have to get one or buy daily parking passes.

Park and Ride — These lots are available throughout the region and may provide you with direct access to transit. More information.

Sacramento Regional Transit

• Fix 50 information page
• Additional light-rail trains during Fix 50

Yolo County Transportation District

• Amtrak discount — The district is offering a discount on Capitol Corridor tickets for one-way rides between Davis and Sacramento, on selected morning and evening trains, weekdays only, during all of Fix 50. The tickets are priced at $3 per one-way ride (compared with the regular price of $5.50). Tickets are available in 10-ride passes, $30 each, limit eight passes (80 rides) per person.
• Where to buy the district-sponsored Amtrak tickets —  online, the transit district office (350 Industrial Way, Woodland) and Davis Community Services (600 A St., Suite C).
• The trains you can ride — According to TAPS, the transit district’s Amtrak tickets are good on the following trains: Westbound (Sacramento to Davis) — Train 525 departs Sacramento at 6:20 a.m.), 527 (7 a.m.), 529 (7:40 a.m.), 531 (8:30 a.m.), 543 (3:35 p.m.), 545 (4:40 p.m.), 547 (5:40 p.m.) and 549 (6:40 p.m.). Eastbound (Davis to Sacramento) — Train 520 (departs Davis at 7:12 a.m.), 522 (8:02 a.m.), 534 (4:22 p.m.), 536 (5:02 p.m.), 538 (5:42 p.m.) and 540 (6:22 p.m.).
• Learn about all of the Yolo County Transportation District's Fix 50 measures. Also see “Yolobus” below.

Unitrans

• Amtrak-campus connection — Bus service between the Amtrak depot (downtown Davis) and the campus (Silo Terminal) is provided on Line A weekdays and Line O weekends.
• Free transfer — Ask the Amtrak conductor for a free transfer to Unitrans.
• Free rides on all Unitrans lines ended May 25.

Bicycling

• Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (Bike the Fix 50 and guidelines for using public transit with your bike)

UC Davis Health System

• Information page on The Insider (UCDHS intranet site, accessible only from UC Davis computers)
• Notice to patients and visitors
• UC Davis health facilities affected by Fix 50

City of Sacramento Survival Guide to Fix 50

West Sacramento Fix 50 information (including real-time traffic cameras)

The Sacramento Bee's Transportation page (includes an interactive Fix 50 Project map and a live traffic map)

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.