The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced a schedule of ongoing and new road projects set to impact travel across Eastern Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties during the week of October 5 through October 9, 2026. Motorists should anticipate various forms of traffic control, including one-way traffic, intermittent lane closures, and reduced speed limits, which may lead to delays on several state routes and U.S. 395.
In Inyo County, significant pavement work continues. The Manzanar Pavement Project on U.S. 395, between Fort Independence and the southern end of Independence, will see crews rehabilitating the northbound lanes. Traffic has already been shifted to the new southbound lanes in this section. Additionally, southbound traffic from the southern end of Independence to 2.5 miles south of Manzanar National Historic Site has shifted back to newly paved southbound lanes. Turns onto several cross streets within Independence will be unavailable from U.S. 395. The speed limit in these areas is reduced to 55 mph and 25 mph within Independence. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, with drivers potentially experiencing delays. This project received substantial funding: $44.64 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and $5.78 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1.
Further north, the Bishop Pavement Project on U.S. 395 and State Route 168 W (W. Line Street) will involve electrical work, grinding of new pavement for smoothness, and laying down permanent striping. Intermittent lane and intersection closures are expected both day and overnight, Monday through Friday, from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm. Drivers may experience brief delays, and the speed limit is reduced to 25 mph from Jay Street to Wye Road. The Bishop project received $18.36 million from the IIJA and $2.4 million from SB 1.
Also in Inyo County, the Lone Pine Sidewalks Project on U.S. 395 will continue with drainage, sidewalk, curb, and gutter work. The outside lane and shoulders will remain closed southbound from Teya Road to Inyo Street, and northbound from Locust Road to E. Lubken Avenue. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, with brief delays expected. In Big Pine, utility crews will continue to replace poles on State Route 168 E from U.S. 395 to Death Valley Road on Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, involving one-way traffic control and potential 5-minute delays. Near Little Lake, pavement striping on new pavement will occur on U.S. 395 from Little Lake to Cinder Road south of Coso Junction, Monday through Thursday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, resulting in intermittent closures of outside lanes and shoulder, and brief delays.
In the southern part of the advisory area, near Inyokern, electrical work is planned on State Route 14 from Athel Road to U.S. 395 on Thursday and Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, with one-way traffic control potentially causing 10-minute delays. Pavement drilling for core samples will also take place in Inyokern and Ridgecrest on State Route 178 E at the U.S. 395 ramps and from Triangle Drive to Sierra View Street, Monday through Wednesday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. This will involve one-way traffic control, intermittent lane closures, and 5-minute delays. In the Kern River Valley, utility crews will replace wire on State Route 178 W from Kelso Valley Road to Fay Ranch Road near Weldon on Tuesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, under one-way traffic control with 5-minute delays. On State Route 127, about 5.5 miles south of Death Valley Junction, electrical work is scheduled Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, also requiring one-way traffic control and leading to 10-minute delays.
Mono County will also see several utility projects affecting U.S. 395. In Bridgeport, utility crews will replace poles from Emigrant Street to one mile north, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with intermittent traffic breaks and 5-minute delays. Near Lee Vining, pole replacement work continues on U.S. 395 from Test Station Road to Second Street, and near Mono Lake from Picnic Grounds Road to Cemetery Road, both Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with intermittent traffic breaks and 5-minute delays. A cape seal operation on U.S. 395 from Hackney Drive near Walker to the Nevada state line will continue Tuesday through Thursday from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Friday from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. This operation involves one-way traffic control, with drivers potentially experiencing 20-minute delays.
Additional utility work in Mono County includes pole replacement near June Lake on State Route 158 from North Shore Road to the winter closure gate near Silver Lake, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with one-way traffic control and 5-minute delays. In Lee Vining Canyon, utility crews will continue replacing poles on State Route 120 W from Lower Lee Vining Campground Road to U.S. 395, Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with one-way traffic control and 10-minute delays.
Caltrans reminds all travelers that work schedules can change due to traffic incidents, weather, equipment availability, or construction issues. Drivers are urged to be attentive to workers in highway zones, slow down when approaching cone zones, and move over to provide additional clearance when possible. The agency advises drivers to be safe and work zone alert. For live traffic conditions, QuickMap is available online at quickmap.dot.ca.gov or as an app for mobile devices. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) provides significant funding to rebuild California’s transportation system, and Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually to expedite road projects.
