Date: May 14, 2026


District: 9 - Bishop


Contact: Michael Lingberg


Phone: (760) 920-0280

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 


Traffic Advisory for the Week of 5/18/2026 to 5/22/2026

EASTERN KERN, INYO, and MONO COUNTIES - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces the following project work and traffic impacts for the week of May 18 – May 22.

Work schedules are subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues.


 


New Traffic Impacts


Eastern Kern County

 

·    Ridgecrest Utility Work – On State Route 178 E from Norma Street to Guam Street, the shoulders in both directions will close while utility crews access underground gas lines. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

·    Cache Creek Sweeping Operation – On State Route 58 from the truck scale house to Cameron Canyon Road, the westbound outside lane and shoulder will close while crews sweep the roadway on Thursday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

·    Tehachapi Sign Work – On State Route 58 at the westbound Mill Street off-ramp, the ramp will fully close while crews replace signs on Wednesday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Detours will be available.

·    Walker Pass Guardrail Repair – On State Route 178 W near the Walker Pass Trailhead-Campground, crews will repair guardrail on Tuesday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 5-minute delays.

·    Johannesburg Guardrail Repair – On U.S. 395 from Pico Avenue to approximately one mile north of Redrock Randsburg Road, crews will repair guardrail on the northbound shoulder on Wednesday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

 

Inyo County

 

·    State Route 168 W Pole Replacements – On State Route 168 W near Aspendell, utility crews will replace poles in the following locations:

o  From Reservoir Road to South Lake Road,

o  From just west of Big Trees Road to Starlite Drive.

Work is scheduled Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 5-minute delays.

 

Mono County

 

·    Mammoth Lakes Pavement Marking – On State Route 203 from Meridian Road to U.S. 395, crews will paint fresh pavement markings in both directions Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. There will be intermittent lane closures, and drivers may experience brief delays.

·    June Lake Utility Work – On State Route 158 from North Shore Drive to Big Rock Road, utility crews will replace poles on Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 5-minute delays.

·    Conway Summit Utility Work – On U.S. 395 from State Route 167 to Virginia Lakes Road near Mono Lake, the northbound outside lane and shoulder will close while utility crews replace poles on Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Drivers may experience 5-minute delays.

·    Sonora Junction Crack Sealing – On U.S. 395 from Swauger Creek Road near Bridgeport to just south of the Shingle Mill Flat Picnic Area in Walker Canyon, crews will seal cracks in the roadway Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 5-minute delays.

 


Ongoing Traffic Impacts


 

Eastern Kern County

 

·    Mojave Chip Sealing – On State Route 14 from Silver Queen Road to the southern junction of Business Route 58, crews will continue to seal cracks in the roadway Tuesday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

 

Inyo County

 

·    Meadow Farms ADA Project – The south side of the Barlow Lane intersection on U.S. 395 will fully close for 24 hours for drainage work beginning at 6:00 am on Tuesday, May 19. Drivers can use Diaz Lane on the Bishop Paiute Reservation to detour around the closure. On the northbound lanes of U.S. 395, the outside lane and shoulder remain closed from the Bishop Creek Bridge to Barlow Lane while crews construct sidewalks, curbs, and gutter. The southbound shoulder will intermittently close from Tu Su Lane to See Vee Lane while crews construct decorative light poles. All driveways remain accessible during construction. Bridge work over Bishop Creek will continue through the end of May. The speed limit within the work area is 25 mph. Work is scheduled Tuesday through Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

·    Bishop Pavement Project – Work on the Bishop Pavement Project will pause May 19-30 during the Mule Days Festival, and all lanes will be open between Jay Street and See Vee Lane during this time. When crews return to work, the southbound outside lane and sidewalk of U.S. 395 between Academy Avenue and Line Street will close for sidewalk and drainage work. The speed limit is reduced to 35 mph from See Vee Lane to Wye Road. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

·    D9 Lab Project – On U.S. 395 at Jay Street in Bishop, the eastbound turn lane onto Jay Street is closed while crews connect new water lines. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Detours are available.

·    Fish Springs Pavement – On U.S. 395 from Elna Road to State Route 168 E, there will be intermittent lane closures while crews perform drainage work. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays.

·    Manzanar Pavement Project – On U.S. 395 from Fish Hatchery Road near the Fort Independence Reservation to 2.5 miles south of the Manzanar National Historic Site, crews will rehabilitate the pavement and install a flashing pedestrian beacon with a mast arm at Market Street. Northbound traffic will switch to the inside southbound lane on May 18 using a temporary crossover. One lane in each direction will close in town. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph and 25 mph within Independence. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Drivers may experience delays.

 

Mono County

 

·    June Lake Utility Work – On State Route 158 from Aspen Road to Powerhouse Road, utility crews will continue to replace poles on Monday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be one-way traffic control, and drivers may experience 10-minute delays.

 

The Manzanar Pavement Project received $44.64 million, the Bishop Pavement Project received $18.36 million, the Meadow Farms ADA Project received $13.56 million, and the Fish Springs Pavement Project received $36.79 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) – also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under IIJA, California will receive an estimated $41.9 billion over five years. IIJA provides significant funding to rebuild California’s transportation system, including support to improve roadways, bridges, freight projects, public transportation, infrastructure safety enhancements, and to increase infrastructure resiliency to the impacts of severe weather and climate change. For more information about IIJA, visit Building California: Transforming Infrastructure for a Better Future | Home.

 

The Manzanar Pavement Project received $5.78 million, the Fish Springs Pavement Project received $4.77 million, and the Bishop Pavement Project received $2.4 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1. SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually split between the state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1. Find out how California is building for a better tomorrow by visiting build.ca.gov. Find out how California is building for a better tomorrow by visiting build.ca.gov.

 

Travelers are asked to be attentive to workers on the highway, slow for the cone zone, and move over whenever possible to give additional clearance. Be Safe and Be Work Zone Alert!

 

To assist in planning your commute, view live traffic conditions using QuickMap at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap App to your iOS or Android device.

 

For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e., Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Angela Bates at (760) 881-7145 or TTY 711. https://sierrawave.net/caltrans-traffic-advisory-for-the-week-of-5-18-2026-to-5-22-2026/