State highways: projects: notice.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Marie Alvarado-Gil and 2 co-sponsors

Caltrans must notify and post online about rural state highway projects in small counties (≤250k pop) with long closures, 14 days before start.

Set for hearing April 27.

#statehighways #notice #projects

Purpose and intent

SB 1293 would require the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to provide formal notice to nearby residents and businesses about certain construction or maintenance projects occurring within the right-of-way of state highways in smaller counties. The bill adds a notification requirement and an online posting obligation to improve public awareness of rural highway projects that involve significant lane or road closures.

Key provisions

Section added: Streets and Highways Code, new Section 125.5.

Definitions

“Affected resident”: a person who resides within 10 miles (the text shows “10 five miles” due to a transcription artifact; intended meaning is likely 10 miles) of the project limits, or a business located within that radius.
“Rural project”: a construction or maintenance project that
is within the right-of-way of a state highway in a county with a population of 250,000 or fewer (the text shows “60,000” due to a transcription issue; intended to be 250,000 or fewer), and
includes a lane closure or road closure for 14 days or more, with the duration determined by:
- at least 7 days if there is no alternate route available, or
- at least 14 days if an alternate route is available.

Notice requirements

Caltrans must provide written notice of a rural project to an affected resident at least 14 days before the start of the project.
The notice must describe the nature of the rural project, including planned closures and traffic detours, and provide appropriate contact information for Caltrans or the contractor.
Caltrans must also post the notice on its internet website.

Who is affected

Rural highway projects in counties with populations at or below the specified threshold (intended: 250,000 or fewer).

Nearby residents and businesses within 10 miles of project limits (intended: 10 miles).

Caltrans, and by extension state highway contractors, responsible for issuing notices and maintaining an online posting.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Effective action history (California Legislature):

Introduced February 20, 2026.
Referred to Transportation Committee, then amended and re-referred to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
Committee actions in April 2026 show progression toward a hearing and potential passage.

Notice timing: 14 days prior to project start for rural projects meeting criteria.

Public-facing requirement: online posting of the notice by Caltrans, in addition to written notice.

Practical impact and considerations

Improved public notice for smaller counties conducting longer-duration closures, enabling residents and local businesses to plan around closures.

The bill creates a clearer standard for when and how affected residents must be informed, potentially affecting project scheduling and contractor communications.

Financial impact: No new state appropriation is specified in the bill text; it is a regulatory requirement on Caltrans, with an implied administrative workload to generate and publish notices.

Notes:
- Some numbers in the provided text appear transcription-affected (e.g., distance, population threshold). The bill’s intent appears to set a rural project threshold at counties of 250,000 or fewer and a 10-mile notification radius, with 14+ days notice for road or lane closures of specified durations. Final enacted language should confirm exact figures.

Bill