Local Project Feature - Highway 70 Expansion
Mathews Readymix is always on the go with our blue stripe trucks, ready to lend a helping hand in our community. While our vehicles are easy to spot around town, you might not be aware of what they’re working on. So this month, we’re highlighting one of our special jobs, the Highway 70 expansion. It’s particularly important to us since the project will make the highway safer for motorists–including ours!
What is the Highway 70 Expansion Project?
Located along a nine-mile stretch of State Highway 70 between Laurellen Road and the Yuba-Butte County line, the Highway 70 Expansion is a $131 million Yuba County project that will take two years to complete. It will widen and pave Highway 70’s shoulders to 8 feet, provide a 14-foot-wide two-way left turn lane, continuous passing lanes, and 6-foot-wide unpaved shoulders for slow-moving farm equipment. It will also improve safety for vehicles by straightening some curves on the highway, repaving the road, and creating a 20-foot recovery zone for errant drivers.
Image courtesy of Associated Construction Publications.
How much concrete was used?
When all is said and done, the Highway 70 expansion project will have used 14,000 cubic yards of concrete. To put it in perspective, it’s the same as 4.28 Olympic sized swimming pools.
What are the benefits of the project?
Unfortunately, this part of Highway 70 has been the site of many vehicular fatalities, 3.8 times higher than the statewide average. This is due in part to a narrow separation between two rows of cars passing each other at high speeds in different directions, but the proposed improvements are expected to significantly reduce the collision rates at this location. Installing unpaved shoulders for farm equipment to drive on will remove slower agricultural vehicles from high-speed lanes, reducing the risk of collisions and helping the flow of traffic. And having a 20 ft. recovery zone for errant drivers will keep them away from moving traffic and out of harm’s way by giving them a safe space to adjust.
At Mathews Readymix, we pride ourselves on being good neighbors by working on some of the key projects benefiting our communities. We stay on top of current concrete research in order to give our clients the most updated products and practices. All of our facilities are equipped with the latest technology to ensure we can keep up with the growing demands of the construction industry. Want to learn more about our services? Contact us today!