Hutchison Drive Improvement Project, Phase 3 to Begin

The Hutchison Drive Improvement Project (at Hutchison/113 interchange) is about to begin Phase III (of three) and will likely last through May 2022. During construction, there will be little interruption for public transportation as well as cyclists and pedestrians needing to access the overpass. However, if you commute by car you may be affected by this final stage of construction.

Dateline, the UC Davis faculty and staff newsletter, continues to cover this project and you may read more details in their latest article post. We are also keenly watching this popular commuter portal to campus and want to let you know how this stage of construction will affect your commute. Similarly, as we reported Phase II of the project, we’ll break down commute mode by commute mode and let you know what to expect through the Spring Quarter. 

Who will be affected by this project?

Motorists 

Anyone who drives and enters campus at Hutchinson and 113 should not have any issues while construction is going on. It's leaving Northbound, toward Woodland, where things might get challenging. The Northbound 113 onramp will be closed until the Hutchison/113 project is complete, and until it is, expect a detour on your outbound trip (entering the highway). See further a detailed outline below.

• INBOUND TRAFFIC exiting 113 North (From the I-80 interchange): There will be a slight change to the off-ramp, which will remain open and shifted slightly to the West (a few yards). Rather than a gradual merge as with the original off-ramp, motorists will now be required to take a hard right at Hutchison (after Stop Sign) and may still access campus as usual.
• INBOUND TRAFFIC exiting 113 South (From Woodland): No changes. 
• OUTBOUND TRAFFIC entering 113 North (Towards Woodland): The Northbound 113 slip ramp will be closed and motorists should detour through Old Davis Road (South on La Rue, crossing Arboretum - detour map below). Yes, this detour is long but it will prevent a bottleneck of traffic on Northbound La Rue.
• OUTBOUND TRAFFIC entering 113 South (To I-80):  No changes

Our advice: Practice patience, plan for a little more wait time in case of traffic delays and use the detour routes. Do note that there is a new cycle track (a special type of protected bike lane) on the north side of the overcrossing, take care when entering or exiting the highway, looking for cyclists crossing on the new cycle track.

Cyclists and Pedestrians 

There is access for cyclists and pedestrians throughout construction, with an additional, new (!), two-way cycle track and pedestrian path on the Northside of Hutchison from West Village to Health Science Drive. The bike path and sidewalk on the Southside will be closed until the project is completed.

• CYCLISTS: Expect more traffic to be in the roundabout West of the bridge/overpass and remember to be patient. Roundabouts work best when everyone slows down, proceeding only when it is safe, and signals their intent. Remember everyone must yield the right-of-way to traffic already inside the roundabout, and always yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Our advice: While you may still use the Southbound-side of the road, for safety reasons, we recommend only accessing the Northbound, two-way cycle track for both East/West trips across the Hutchison/113 interchange. If you’re a “vehicular cyclist” and prefer to share the lane, be certain you are visible (especially at night, use lights, wear high-viz clothing) and are signaling your intention to turn, change lanes, etc. Alternatively, if you’d rather not bother with construction and heavier traffic volumes, consider detouring to the bike-pedestrian bridge over 113 between Russell and Hutchinson. Most destinations west of 113 have easy access to this bridge via bike paths throughout West Village.  

• PEDESTRIANS: Give yourself a little bit of extra time to cross the Hutchinson bridge over 113, especially if you find yourself on the Southside approach (which will require a detour to the north side of the bridge). The bridge’s Northside sidewalk will be the only pedestrian walkway accessible on the bridge until the project is complete.

Our advice: No matter the route you choose, always pay attention to vehicles when you cross the road as there will likely be some confusion and always watch for distracted drivers acclimating to detours. 

Public Transportation

If you commute by bus to campus, there will be no detours for FAST (Blue Line) or for the Causeway Connection. There will be a temporary reroute (Unitrans D line) while construction is in progress.

Our advice: Expect a few bus delays at first as drivers deal with increased congestion and changes to their regular routes. Our hope is that if there are delayed pick-ups/drop-offs, those delays will happen in those first few weeks of the project.

Thank you for being patient and looking out for one another on the roads. Regardless of how people are getting around, the inconvenience that is often brought on by construction will be worth it when we have our new, safer interchange.