Caltrans set to realign NorCal redwood highway, allow larger trucks

Caltrans set to realign NorCal redwood highway, allow larger trucks The California Department of Transportation has announced a cooperative realignment plan to improve the flow of goods moving in and out of Humboldt County on U.S. Route 101.
   The plan, reached with input from an advisory group of local environmental, community and business groups, will straighten out tight turns on the highway, thus allowing larger trucks to move through the old-growth redwoods of Richardson Grove State Park that is bisected by the route.
   'I am very proud of Caltrans and its partners for finding common ground on a plan that will improve goods movement along the north coast without impacting old growth redwood trees,' said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. 'Realigning Route 101 at Richardson Grove will greatly improve the north coast economy.'
   Cattlemen in Humboldt, Del Norte, and Mendocino counties have raised concerns for years that they operate at a disadvantage because most of the cattle raised in Northern California are shipped out of state and, due to length restrictions, the industry is limited to using smaller trailers.
   Currently, tighter than normal turns along Route 101, particularly at Richardson Grove, limit this segment to California legal trucks. The Caltrans plan to realign the highway will allow larger, industry-standard trucks to travel through Richardson Grove when the project is completed next year.
   The technical advisory group that worked with Caltrans to develop the plan comprised California State Parks, Inter-Tribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, Sierra Club, Humboldt Cattlemen's Association, Save-the-Redwoods League, Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, California Highway Patrol, California Trucking Association, local government officials, and other stakeholders.
   The next step for Caltrans is the initiation of preliminary engineering and environmental studies for the project. A future public meeting to take public comment will be held as part of the environmental process.