SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Through the end of the year, Folsom Lake Crossing will be closed for up to one hour weekdays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. for blasting work to excavate portions of the new Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway approach channel.
Blasting is completed by detonating a series of explosives beneath the surface in quick succession to break up the rock foundation in the approach channel so it can be more easily excavated from the project site.
During blasting, a 1,000-foot perimeter is set up for safety, and traffic on Folsom Lake Crossing will be restricted between Folsom-Auburn Road and East Natoma Street. Detour signs will be posted providing alternate routes.
The Folsom Lake Crossing pedestrian and bicycle path will be closed beginning approximately 12:30 p.m. and will re-open with the roadway after blasting is complete.
A daily schedule for the closures has not been finalized but they are not expected to occur more than once per day, and no blasting will occur on weekends or holidays. Additional blasting operations and associated road closures may occur during one-hour windows through February 2015.
A map of the blasting area and closure detours is available HERE.
Blasting operations and periodic road closures have been ongoing since July 2014, and similar closures occurred in 2013, 2011 and 2009 as part of previous phases of the project.
The auxiliary spillway project is part of the Joint Federal Project, a $900-million cooperative effort between the Corps, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, California Department of Water Resources and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency to improve the safety of Folsom Dam and reduce flood risk for the Sacramento area.
Release no. 14-064