Highway 120 Construction May Cause Delays This Summer

If you’ve been a long time visitor to Yosemite you may well remember the traffic light that was placed on Highway 120 between Buck Meadows and the Cherry Lake Road turn-off. Well, to make a long story short, road construction this summer may well just bring the light back to 120 signaling stop and go traffic and delays for travelers getting into the park.

“A multi-year road retrofit project on Highway 120, centered around a bridge east of Buck Meadows, will mean traffic delays heading into Yosemite National Park through the summer season, according to Caltrans.

Work is set to begin Wednesday between the Big Oak Sidehill Viaduct bridge and the South Fork Tuolumne River bridge past Yosemite Lakes Road, according to Caltrans. The project, near the Lost Claim Campground, touches on both Tuolumne and Mariposa counties and is supposed to last through 2016. During construction, one lane of the two-lane route will be closed, although traffic will be able to get through.

The project involves road repairs and replacing the bridge decks to strengthen the bridge and is expected to cost $3.4 million. The route is a popular stretch of road in Tuolumne County as the northern entrance to Yosemite National Park.” (via Union Democrat)

According to Caltrans estimates, that section of road receives as many as 1,050 cars an hour during peak hours. Delays can be as much as 5-15 minutes during peak periods when flag men are present. If they re-institute the traffic light, going to the park before construction begins (prior to 7am) and returning after work has stopped (after 5pm) when the light is in use may spare you long waits in line.