PRESS RELEASE

Yolo County Public Works staff have received reports from the public and confirmed through field inspections that several areas along South River Road have experienced shoulder erosion. These eroded sections leave little to no shoulder space for motorists to pull off the paved roadway, which runs along the top of the Sacramento River levee. As a result, driving conditions in these areas have become challenging. The affected stretches extend from the West Sacramento city limit to the north, down to the Freeport Bridge to the south.

Public Works staff are implementing immediate safety measures, including new signage and pavement markings to bring attention to the lack of shoulders. This week, changeable message signs will be placed along the corridor alerting motorists to the “NO SHOULDER” conditions and to drive 35 miles per hour (MPH) through the zone. Additional permanent sign adjustments are being evaluated to further alert motorists of these conditions.

Constructing wider shoulders in these areas would require approvals from the State of California, as South River Road is on top of a levee maintained by the State and under the federal jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers. While Yolo County is permitted to perform routine maintenance on top of the levee roadway from West Sacramento to the Sacramento County line at Sutter Slough, any proposed modifications or improvements to the levee structure would require approval by the State and federal agencies.

Motorists are advised to drive the South River Road corridor with caution. To report maintenance concerns on County roads, please visit “Report A Concern” webpage at www.YoloCounty.gov/living/report-a-concern, and then click on the “Request Road Maintenance or Clean Up” link to fill out the online request form.