District: 5 Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa

______State of California • Department of Transportation NEWS RELEASE Today’s Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2009 District: 5 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties Contact: Jim Shivers or Colin Jones Phone: (805) 549-3237 or (805) 549-3189 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 46 SHANDON SAFETY ROADSIDE REST AREA REHABILITATION PROJECT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

(SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY) – Work crews will begin a year long project beginning Tuesday, September 1 to rehabilitate the Hwy. 46 Shandon roadside rest area to comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and to provide the traveling public with a reliable, convenient, attractive and informative stopping opportunity.

This roadside rest area is located on Hwy. 46 near the Hwy. 46/41 Interchange This rest stop will be fully closed for the duration of the project. Work is expected to be complete in September 2010, weather permitting.

The existing Shandon Safety Roadside Rest Area (SRRA) no longer adequately meets the needs of its over 1.5 million annual users. This facility has become outdated, inefficient and costly to maintain.

Construction work will include demolition and replacement of existing buildings with new expanded restroom facilities, upgrades to accessible parking; new maintenance equipment storage buildings and a revitalized pedestrian core.

______State of California • Department of Transportation NEWS RELEASE The project will repair and/or replace existing electrical, sewer and water systems. Site amenities will include information kiosks, historic displays, picnic tables, benches, trash and recycling containers, lighting, pet areas and landscaping.

Electronic message boards have been posted in both directions of Hwy. 101 to advise motorists of the upcoming closure.

The contractor for this $2.9 million project is Specialty Construction Inc. of San Luis Obispo, CA. This project is federally funded through the economic stimulus package. This project will generate a broad range of work for those in the local construction industry, including sales for businesses which supply construction materials.

Caltrans reminds motorists to ‘Slow for the Cone Zone.’

For lane closure information on this project and for traffic updates on other Caltrans projects in Monterey County, residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831- 372-0862 or can visit our website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upslo.htm