All of Hwy. 76 expected to be four lanes in 2017

The widening of State Route 76 from two lanes to four is expected to be complete during 2017.

"Right now we're working on the north side of the barrier between Gird Road and Old Highway 395, and you will be seeing asphalt paving starting next month," said senior construction engineer Dave Cortez. "The plan is to have that paved and open up the westbound lanes from 395 to Mission Road early next year."

That will allow two westbound lanes while the southern part of the road is being finished for the eventual use of both lanes. "From Gird Road to Old Highway 395 we will be working on the eastbound lanes," Cortez said.

"We anticipate sometime mid to late summer we'll have this project well on its way to opening up to traffic," Cortez said. "Overall it will be significantly complete, and that is about a month ahead of schedule."

The capping of the lanes is expected to occur in mid-summer. "There will be traffic control probably during the night for capping the lanes," Cortez said.

The additional lanes will widen Highway 76 from an average of 30 feet to an average of 44 feet of paved surface which equates to two travel lanes 12 feet wide along with inside and outside shoulder lanes 10 feet wide, and the road will also include turn lanes, acceleration and deceleration lanes, and barriers.

The park-and-ride at the northwest corner of Highway 76 and Old Highway 395 is being enlarged and the improvements also include flattening the grade, adding truck parking and a bus terminal, lighting, and charging stations for electric vehicles.

Work began on cutting the slope in 2015, but the discovery of harder rock led to the preparation of a blasting plan which required the closure of the park-and-ride area and the relocation of the park-and-ride, along with a bus shelter for North County Transit District routes 388 and 389 and the Riverside Transit Agency's Route 202, to the south side of Highway 76.

"We encountered a lot of hard rock in the excavation," Cortez said.

"We will be paving that park-and-ride sometime in January," Cortez said. "Hopefully by the end of February we'll be able to open the park-and-ride."

Cortez noted that the residents, business owners, and other motorists in Bonsall and southeastern Fallbrook have been patient during the disruptions caused by the eventual road improvements. "As far as the community, they've received us very well," Cortez said. "Hopefully they're happy with the product we're delivering and hopefully we've caused minimal headache for them."