- On Oct. 2nd, CalTrans officially closed State Route 46, just west of Lost Hills to preform work on the highway. The route, also known as the Paso Robles Highway and used to travel between Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, is expected to be closed until the middle of November, per CalTrans.
- 23ABC spoke with several travelers and employees at gas stations and rest stops in Lost Hills and Blackwell's Corner to get their thoughts on the closure and how it's effecting them immediately and how they expect it to effect them in the future.
(23ABC's Grace Laverriere contributed to this report)
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Earlier this week, CalTrans shut down Highway 46 just West of town in Lost Hills. The shut down is expected to remain in place until mid-November.
Shutting down this popular route to the coast comes as summer wanes. Most travelers use digital maps to navigate their routes. For those not in a hurry, a few extra minutes are no big deal.
Vacationers Amanda and Chris Kanne spoke with 23ABC at Blackwells Corner. They said the closures were easily navigated by Google Maps’ redirection.
“We did see some backups, but we've been able to be going opposite the direction of most traffic because we're on vacation and not going to work. So it's really been really smooth for us. I think that the maps we've been using, Google Maps has taken us around most of the difficult areas and taking us to the fastest route really well,” Amanda Kanne said.
And for some, the detours, aren’t detours at all.
“I think it's quicker to get to Bakersfield that way and saves us time and gas,” Kenneth Remo explained.
For workers along Highway 46 near Lost Hills, the impact is much greater.
Lupe Martinez is a manager at the Pizza Hut inside the Countryside Market. She told 23ABC the closures affect the scheduling for her and her co-workers.
“We've already had some closures due to the fact of them trying to expand and fix the road and everything. And it's been on both sides. And it's impacted us very greatly because hours get cut, people have rent and bills to pay and it's already gotten slow,” Martinez said.
If you are planning on heading East or West along Highway 46, CalTrans is advising drivers to stay aware of the posted detour signs.
While the shut down has closed off Highway 46 for travel between Kern County and San Luis Obispo County, there are two alternate routes that CalTrans is advising drivers to take.
The northern route uses Interstate 5 and Highway 41 and the southern route uses Lerdo Highway, State Route 33 and I-5.
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